Pinto Marta Jorge de Vasconcelos, Veiga José Miguel, Fernandes Paulo, Ramos Carla, Gonçalves Sérgio, Velho Maria Manuela Lemos Vaz, Guerreiro Joana Santos
a Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra , ESTESC-Coimbra Health School , Saúde Ambiental , Coimbra , Portugal.
J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2015;78(11):685-96. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2015.1021942.
In recent years, efforts have been undertaken to reduce the volume of residual waste through sorting and recycling. The waste management and recycling sector is thriving and the number of workers there is increasing. In this context, prior knowledge of the risks to which workers may be exposed is of crucial importance, and preventive measures need to be put in place to accurately identify and quantify those risks. This study aimed to assess occupational risk of exposure to biological agents (viable bacteria and fungi) in a Portuguese waste packaging glass sorting plant. Air samples were collected from selected locations in waste sorting cabins (critical area, CA), administrative services (noncritical area, NCA) and outdoors (control point, CP). Duplicate air samples were collected through an impaction method. The investigation was carried out over an 8-mo period with two collection periods, autumn/winter (AW) and spring/summer (SS), in order to access the influence of any seasonal variation. In the 36 air samples collected, 319 bacterial and 196 mold identifications were performed. Air samples revealed existence of high environmental contamination by bacteria (1.6 × 10(4) colony forming units [cfu]/m(3)) and fungi (1.5 × 10(4) cfu/m(3)). The predominant bacterial genus was Staphylococcus (coagulase negative) with values ranging from 29.6 to 60% of the total count of bacteria. Genera Bacillus, Micrococcus, and Staphylococcus (coagulase negative) were also present at all sampling sites, regardless of the season. However, the counts of these genera, in the CA, were higher in warmer seasons. The genus Penicillium was the most frequent genus present with an approximate value of 95% of total fungal count in the CA. Seasonal variation was a significant factor for total bacteria and fungi, except for NCA versus CP. Overall, the highest levels of bacterial and fungal species (10(4) cfu/m(3)) were found in the waste sorting cabin (CA). These results highlight the importance of proper design and risk evaluation when planning a new waste facility, such that working conditions minimize proliferation of biological agents in the workplace.
近年来，人们一直在努力通过分类和回收来减少残余废物的数量。废物管理和回收行业蓬勃发展，该行业的工人数量也在增加。在这种背景下，了解工人可能面临的风险的先验知识至关重要，需要采取预防措施来准确识别和量化这些风险。本研究旨在评估葡萄牙一家废包装玻璃分拣厂中接触生物制剂（活细菌和真菌）的职业风险。从废物分拣间（关键区域，CA）、行政服务部门（非关键区域，NCA）和室外（控制点，CP）的选定位置采集空气样本。通过撞击法采集重复的空气样本。调查在8个月的时间内进行，分为两个采集期，即秋冬（AW）和春夏（SS），以了解季节变化的影响。在所采集的36个空气样本中，进行了319次细菌鉴定和196次霉菌鉴定。空气样本显示存在细菌（1.6×10⁴菌落形成单位[cfu]/m³）和真菌（1.5×10⁴cfu/m³）的高度环境污染。主要的细菌属是葡萄球菌（凝固酶阴性），其值占细菌总数的29.6%至60%。芽孢杆菌属、微球菌属和葡萄球菌属（凝固酶阴性）在所有采样点均有出现，与季节无关。然而，在CA中，这些属的数量在温暖季节较高。青霉属是最常见的属，在CA中约占真菌总数的95%。除了NCA与CP外，季节变化是影响细菌和真菌总数的一个重要因素。总体而言，在废物分拣间（CA）发现的细菌和真菌种类水平最高（10⁴cfu/m³）。这些结果凸显了在规划新的废物处理设施时进行合理设计和风险评估的重要性，以便工作条件能将工作场所生物制剂的增殖降至最低。
