Basinas Ioannis, Schlünssen Vivi, Takai Hisamitsu, Heederik Dick, Omland Øyvind, Wouters Inge M, Sigsgaard Torben, Kromhout Hans
Department of Public Health, Section for Environment, Occupation and Health, Danish Ramazzini Center, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 2, Building 1260, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark;
Ann Occup Hyg. 2013 Oct;57(8):1005-19. doi: 10.1093/annhyg/met029. Epub 2013 Jun 22.
To identify working tasks and stable characteristics that determine intensity and variability of personal exposure to dust and endotoxin among pig farmers.
Three hundred fifty-four personal full-shift measurements were performed in 231 farmers employed in 53 Danish pig farms. Filters were gravimetrically analysed for inhalable dust and for endotoxin by the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. Information on working tasks and stable characteristics were collected using self-reported activity diaries and walk-through surveys performed in conjunction with the measurements. Associations between log-transformed dust and endotoxin exposure and working tasks and stable characteristics were examined using linear mixed-effects analysis. In these models, worker and farm identity were treated as random effects and working tasks and stable characteristics as fixed effects. Both separate and combined models for tasks and stable characteristics were elaborated.
Inhalable dust concentrations ranged between 0.1 and 48 mg m(-3) and endotoxin concentrations varied between 9.2 and 370,000 EU m(-3). Field work activities played a dominant role on the exposure variability. Indoor working tasks with intense animal activity or handling of feed materials increased exposure concentrations, whereas engagement in field work was associated with lower exposure concentrations. High-pressure water cleaning increased endotoxin exposure but did not affect exposure to inhalable dust. Stable characteristics related to feeding practices and type of ventilation were determinants of exposure to inhalable dust. For endotoxin, the most important determinants were use of dry feed and slatted floor coverage. Feeding practices solely explained all between-farms variability in exposure to inhalable dust and endotoxin.
These findings suggest feeding systems, flooring and ventilation to be potential areas where improved methods can reduce exposure to dust and endotoxin among pig farmers. Further, they highlight particular tasks involving feeding and intense animal handling as sources of very high levels of exposure. The pig farming industry is encouraged to focus on exposure reduction. Use of respirators during performance of working tasks where levels of exposure are particularly high ought to be considered until adequate hygienic solutions have been established.
确定决定养猪农户个人接触粉尘和内毒素强度及变异性的工作任务和稳定特征。
对丹麦53个猪场雇佣的231名农户进行了354次个人全时段测量。通过重量分析法对过滤器中的可吸入粉尘进行分析，并采用鲎试剂法对内毒素进行分析。使用自我报告的活动日记以及与测量同步进行的巡查调查收集有关工作任务和稳定特征的信息。使用线性混合效应分析检查对数转换后的粉尘和内毒素暴露与工作任务及稳定特征之间的关联。在这些模型中，将工人和猪场身份视为随机效应，将工作任务和稳定特征视为固定效应。详细阐述了任务和稳定特征的单独模型与组合模型。
可吸入粉尘浓度范围为0.1至48毫克/立方米，内毒素浓度在9.2至370,000 EU/立方米之间变化。田间工作活动对暴露变异性起主导作用。伴有剧烈动物活动或饲料处理的室内工作任务会增加暴露浓度，而从事田间工作则与较低的暴露浓度相关。高压水清洗会增加内毒素暴露，但不影响可吸入粉尘暴露。与饲养方式和通风类型相关的稳定特征是可吸入粉尘暴露的决定因素。对于内毒素而言，最重要的决定因素是干饲料的使用和板条地板覆盖率。饲养方式单独解释了猪场间可吸入粉尘和内毒素暴露的所有变异性。
这些发现表明，饲养系统、地板和通风是改进方法可降低养猪农户粉尘和内毒素暴露的潜在领域。此外，它们突出了涉及饲养和剧烈动物处理的特定任务是极高暴露水平的来源。鼓励养猪行业关注降低暴露。在建立适当的卫生解决方案之前，应考虑在暴露水平特别高的工作任务中使用呼吸器。
