Viegas Carla, Faria Tiago, Monteiro Ana, Caetano Liliana Aranha, Carolino Elisabete, Quintal Gomes Anita, Viegas Susana
GIAS, ESTeSL-Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal.
Centro de Investigação em Saúde Pública, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1600-560 Lisbon, Portugal.
Toxics. 2017 Dec 27;6(1):5. doi: 10.3390/toxics6010005.
Swine production has been associated with health risks and workers' symptoms. In Portugal, as in other countries, large-scale swine production involves several activities in the swine environment that require direct intervention, increasing workers' exposure to organic dust. This study describes an updated protocol for the assessment of occupational exposure to organic dust, to unveil an accurate scenario regarding occupational and environmental risks for workers' health. The particle size distribution was characterized regarding mass concentration in five different size ranges (PM0.5, PM1, PM2.5, PM5, PM10). Bioburden was assessed, by both active and passive sampling methods, in air, on surfaces, floor covering and feed samples, and analyzed through culture based-methods and qPCR. Smaller size range particles exhibited the highest counts, with indoor particles showing higher particle counts and mass concentration than outdoor particles. The limit values suggested for total bacteria load were surpassed in 35.7% (10 out of 28) of samples and for fungi in 65.5% (19 out of 29) of samples. Among genera, section was the most prevalent (55%) on malt extract agar (MEA) and the most identified (50%) on dichloran glycerol (DG18). The results document a wide characterization of occupational exposure to organic dust on swine farms, being useful for policies and stakeholders to act to improve workers' safety. The methods of sampling and analysis employed were the most suitable considering the purpose of the study and should be adopted as a protocol to be followed in future exposure assessments in this occupational environment.
养猪生产与健康风险和工人症状有关。在葡萄牙，与其他国家一样，大规模养猪生产涉及养猪环境中的多项活动，这些活动需要直接干预，从而增加了工人接触有机粉尘的机会。本研究描述了一种用于评估职业性有机粉尘暴露的更新方案，以揭示有关工人健康的职业和环境风险的准确情况。对五个不同粒径范围（PM0.5、PM1、PM2.5、PM5、PM10）的质量浓度进行了粒径分布特征分析。通过主动和被动采样方法对空气、表面、地面覆盖物和饲料样本中的生物负荷进行了评估，并通过基于培养的方法和定量聚合酶链反应进行了分析。较小粒径范围的颗粒计数最高，室内颗粒的颗粒计数和质量浓度高于室外颗粒。在28个样本中有35.7%（10个）的样本超过了建议的总细菌负荷限值，在29个样本中有65.5%（19个）的样本超过了真菌限值。在属中，[具体属名1]在麦芽提取物琼脂（MEA）上最为普遍（55%），[具体属名2]在二氯苯胺甘油（DG18）上鉴定最多（50%）。结果记录了养猪场职业性有机粉尘暴露的广泛特征，有助于政策制定者和利益相关者采取行动改善工人安全。考虑到研究目的，所采用的采样和分析方法是最合适的，应作为该职业环境未来暴露评估中遵循的方案予以采用。
