The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Environ Res. 2020 Apr;183:109177. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109177. Epub 2020 Jan 23.
Bioaerosol exposure is associated with health problems. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether it is possible to assess the risks posed by waste collection workers' exposure through identification and characterization of bacterial and fungal species, to which the workers are exposed. Using MALDI-TOF MS, microorganisms in waste collection workers' exposure through air, hand, and contact with the steering wheel were identified. Fungi found in high concentrations from the workers' exposure were characterized for the total inflammatory potential (TIP), cytotoxicity, and biofilm-forming capacity. In total, 180 different bacterial and 37 different fungal species in the workers' exposure samples were identified. Some of them belong to Risk Group 2, e.g. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aspergillus fumigatus, some have been associated with occupational health problems e.g. Penicillium citrinum and P. glabrum and some are described as emerging pathogens e.g. Aureobasidium pullulans. The TIP of fungal species was dose-dependent. High TIP values were found for Penicillium italicum, P. brevicompactum, P. citrinum, and P. glabrum. Several species were cytotoxic, e.g. A. niger and P. expansum, while some, e.g. P. chrysogenum, did not affect the cell viability. Based on waste workers' average inhalation rate, they inhaled up to 2.3 × 10 cfu of A. niger, 7.4 × 10 cfu of P. expansum, and 4.0 × 10 cfu of P. italicum per work day. Some species e.g. A. niger and P. citrinum were able to form biofilm. In conclusion, the workers were exposed to several species of microorganisms of which some to varying degrees can be evaluated concerning risk. Thus, some microorganisms belong to Risk Group 2, and some are described as causing agents of occupational health problems, emerging pathogens, or intrinsically antibiotic resistant. For some other species very little is known. The TIP, cytotoxicity, and ability to form biofilm of the dominating fungi support and expand previous findings. These parameters depended on the species and the dose, thus highlighting the importance of species identification and exposure level in the risk assessment of exposure.
生物气溶胶暴露与健康问题有关。本研究旨在通过鉴定和表征工人接触的细菌和真菌种类，评估废物收集工人暴露的风险。使用 MALDI-TOF MS 鉴定了废物收集工人通过空气、手部和接触方向盘接触到的微生物。对工人接触的真菌进行了总炎症潜能（TIP）、细胞毒性和生物膜形成能力的特征分析。在工人暴露样本中总共鉴定出 180 种不同的细菌和 37 种不同的真菌。其中一些属于风险组 2，例如大肠杆菌、产酸克雷伯菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和烟曲霉，有些与职业健康问题有关，例如桔青霉和棒曲霉，有些则被描述为新兴病原体，例如出芽短梗霉。真菌种类的 TIP 呈剂量依赖性。桔青霉、短密青霉、桔青霉和棒曲霉的 TIP 值较高。一些物种具有细胞毒性，例如黑曲霉和展青霉素，而有些物种，例如产黄青霉，则不会影响细胞活力。根据废物工人的平均吸入率，他们每天吸入的黑曲霉高达 2.3×10cfu，展青霉素 7.4×10cfu，桔青霉 4.0×10cfu。有些物种，例如黑曲霉和桔青霉，能够形成生物膜。总之，工人接触到多种微生物，其中一些在某种程度上可以评估其风险。因此，一些微生物属于风险组 2，有些被描述为引起职业健康问题的病原体、新兴病原体或固有抗生素耐药性。对于其他一些物种，我们知之甚少。占主导地位的真菌的 TIP、细胞毒性和形成生物膜的能力支持和扩展了以前的发现。这些参数取决于物种和剂量，因此强调了在暴露风险评估中识别物种和暴露水平的重要性。
