Madsen A M, Hansen V M, Nielsen S H, Olsen T T
The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Ann Occup Hyg. 2009 Mar;53(2):129-38. doi: 10.1093/annhyg/men073. Epub 2008 Nov 25.
Exposure to bioaerosols in occupational settings is associated with a range of adverse health effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the exposure levels to dust and endotoxin of people working in two cucumber nurseries and two tomato nurseries. Exposure was measured for greenhouse workers (n = 70) mainly working on harvesting cucumbers and tomatoes and clearing the plants after the harvest season. The people were exposed to between 0.2 and 15 mg inhalable dust m(-3) (median = 1.6 mg m(-3)) and between 0.5 and 400 ng inhalable endotoxin m(-3) (median = 32 ng m(-3)). The exposure to 'total dust' and endotoxin measured by stationary samplers (n = 30) in the greenhouses was low. Endotoxin was present in relatively high concentrations on cucumber leaves compared with leaves on pot plants. The Danish occupational exposure limit (OEL) for total organic dust is 3 mg m(-3) and 36% and 17% of the cucumber and tomato workers, respectively, were exposed to >3.0 mg inhalable dust m(-3). There is no OEL for endotoxin, but 'no effect levels' at approximately 15 ng m(-3) have been found. The majority of subjects (65%) were exposed to >15 ng m(-3). Significantly higher exposure was found for employees in cucumber nurseries than for employees in tomato nurseries. Clearing tomato plants after the harvest season caused a higher exposure to endotoxin than tomato harvesting. In conclusion, people working in cucumber and tomato nurseries were often exposed to high levels of inhalable dust and endotoxin. Cucumber harvest workers were exposed to significantly more dust and endotoxin than tomato harvest workers. The dust and endotoxin aerosolized during the working processes were only transported to other areas in the greenhouses to a very low degree. Cucumber and tomato leaves were identified as endotoxin reservoirs.
职业环境中接触生物气溶胶与一系列不良健康影响相关。本研究的目的是调查在两个黄瓜苗圃和两个番茄苗圃工作的人员的粉尘和内毒素接触水平。对主要从事黄瓜和番茄采摘以及收获季节后清理植株的温室工人（n = 70）进行了接触测量。这些人员接触的可吸入粉尘浓度在0.2至15毫克/立方米之间（中位数 = 1.6毫克/立方米），可吸入内毒素浓度在0.5至400纳克/立方米之间（中位数 = 32纳克/立方米）。温室中通过固定采样器（n = 30）测量的“总粉尘”和内毒素接触水平较低。与盆栽植物的叶子相比，黄瓜叶子上的内毒素浓度相对较高。丹麦对总有机粉尘的职业接触限值（OEL）为3毫克/立方米，分别有36%和17%的黄瓜和番茄工人接触的可吸入粉尘>3.0毫克/立方米。目前没有内毒素的OEL，但已发现约15纳克/立方米的“无影响水平”。大多数受试者（65%）接触的内毒素>15纳克/立方米。发现黄瓜苗圃的员工接触水平明显高于番茄苗圃的员工。收获季节后清理番茄植株导致的内毒素接触高于番茄采摘。总之，在黄瓜和番茄苗圃工作的人员经常接触高水平的可吸入粉尘和内毒素。黄瓜采摘工人接触的粉尘和内毒素明显多于番茄采摘工人。工作过程中雾化的粉尘和内毒素仅极少程度地传输到温室的其他区域。黄瓜和番茄叶子被确定为内毒素储存库。
