Organic dust is widespread in the environment including occupational settings, such as bakeries. Recently, a new collection device—the electrostatic dust cloth (EDC)—has been described for the assessment of occupational exposures. The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of EDC for identifying the distribution patterns and exposure concentrations of particulate matter and microbial contaminants such as fungi and bacteria in bakeries. Twelve bakeries were selected, and dust was allowed to settle for 13 to 16 days on EDCs (a total of 33 samples). Particle counts and size distribution (0.3 µm, 0.5 µm, 1 µm, 2.5 µm, 5 µm and 10 µm) were measured with direct-reading equipment. Higher EDC mass was significantly correlated (p values < 0.05) with higher fungal load on dichloran glycerol (DG18) and with particle size distribution in the 0.3 µm, 0.5 µm, 1.0 µm and 10.0 µm range. Fungal levels on malt extract agar (MEA) ranged from 0 to 2886 CFU/m2 EDC in the warehouse setting, 0 to 500 CFU/m2 EDC in the production setting, and 0 to 3135 CFU/m2 EDC in the store. Penicillium sp. (42.56%) was the most frequent fungi. Total bacterial load ranged from 0 to 18,859 CFU/m2 EDC in the warehouse, 0 to 71,656 CFU/m2 EDC in production, and 0 to 21,746 CFU/m2 EDC in the store. EDC assessment provided a longer-term integrated sample of organic dust, useful for identifying critical worksites in which particulate matter and bio-burden exposures are elevated. These findings suggest that EDC can be applied as a screening method for particulate matter-exposure assessment and as a complementary method to quantify exposures in occupational environments.

/pdf/electrostatic-dust-cloth-a-passive-screening-method-to-44ghqku6yw.pdf

Electrostatic Dust Cloth: A Passive Screening Method to Assess Occupational Exposure to Organic Dust in Bakeries

Filters from taxis air conditioning system: A tool to characterize driver's occupational exposure to bioburden?

https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/5/2/24/pdf

Microbiota and particulate matter assessment in Portuguese optical shops providing contact lens services

In bakeries, a number of operations such as mixing are associated with exposure to air-suspended flour dust and related bioburden. The aim of this study was to find the best active sampling approach to the assessment of occupational exposure to bioburden in Portuguese bakeries based on the data obtained with the use of specific impaction and impinger devices. We used impaction to collect fungal particles from 100 L air samples onto malt extract agar (MEA) supplemented with chloramphenicol (0.05 %). For growing fungi we also used dichloran glycerol (DG18) agar-based media and for mesophilic bacteria we used tryptic soy agar (TSA) supplemented with nystatin (0.2 %). For Enterobacteriaceae we used violet red bile agar (VRBA). With impingers we also collected 300 L air samples at the 300 L/min airflow rate, inoculated onto the same culture media. The two methods, impaction and impinger, showed statistically significant differences in the following counts: fungal on MEA (z=-2.721, p=0.007), fungal on DG18 (z=-4.830, p=0.000), total bacteria (z=-5.435, p=0.000), and Gram-negative coliforms (z=-3.716, p=0.000). In all cases the impaction method detected significantly higher concentrations than the impinger method. Fungal and bacterial loads were higher in the production unit and lower in the shop. The fungal load obtained with impaction varied between 10 and 5140 CFU m-3, and total bacterial counts ranged between 10 and 4120 CFU m-3. This study has shown that the impaction method is the best active sampling approach to assessing viable bioburden in this specific occupational environment, but a multi-faceted approach to sampling and analyses combining methods and media enables a more refined risk characterisation and, consequently, better tailored risk control measures to reduce adverse health outcomes in workers.

/pdf/occupational-exposure-to-bioburden-in-portuguese-bakeries-an-2hoi1dk70z.pdf

Occupational exposure to bioburden in Portuguese bakeries: an approach to sampling viable microbial load

Zanieczyszczenia powietrza są główną przyczyną globalnych zagrożeń dla środowiska i człowieka. Powstają w wyniku emisji różnych związków chemicznych przez przemysł, środki transportu drogowego oraz gospodarstwa domowe. Substancje te wdychane z powietrzem przenikają z krwią do niemal wszystkich tkanek, zaburzając ich fizjologię. Szkodliwe działanie tych substancji tłumaczy się generowaniem stresu oksydacyjnego. Powoduje to peroksydację błon komórkowych i zaburza podstawowe funkcje komórki. Badania prowadzone na całym świecie w ostatnich latach udowodniły związek między ekspozycją na zanieczyszczenia powietrza a zwiększoną umieralnością z powodu chorób układu sercowo-naczyniowego oraz oddechowego. W ostatnich latach pojawiło się wiele doniesień naukowych potwierdzających także negatywny wpływ zanieczyszczeń powietrza na funkcje rozrodcze człowieka.

/pdf/the-influence-of-air-pollution-on-human-reproduction-hx7dza1wzs.pdf

The influence of air pollution on human reproduction

Objective The aim of this research was evaluation of microbial contamination of air within and in the vicinity of animal waste disposal plants. Materials and method Air samples were analyzed to determine total bacterial and fungal counts as well as microbial species composition. Measurements of climate conditions (temperature, humidity, air motion) and total dust concentration were also performed. Results Total numbers of bacteria and fungi surpassed the threshold limit values for production halls. The most abundant bacteria detected were those consisting of physiological microflora of animal dermis and mucosa. Fungal species composition proved to be most differentiated in the air beyond the plant area. Aspergillus versicolor, a pathogenic and allergenic filamentous fungus, was isolated only inside the rendering plant processing hall. Conclusions The measurement results showed a low sanitary-hygienic state of air in the plant processing halls and substantial air pollution in its immediate vicinity.

http://www.aaem.pl/pdf-72373-9602?filename=Microbial contamination.pdf

Agata Drabik

Papers

Microbial contamination level of air in animal waste utilization plants