Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2022 Mar 21;29(1):56-62. doi: 10.26444/aaem/146725. Epub 2022 Mar 2.
In Finland and other northern countries, vegetable greenhouse workers are exposed to airborne dust and microbes all year round. The aim of the study was to assess respiratory exposure to dust, endotoxins and microbes, and to identify the risk phases of respiratory and skin exposure to promote safe working methods.
Work in greenhouses was observed and recorded in a structured form. 23 personal samples and eight stationary samples of dust, endotoxins and viable microbes were collected from eight tomato or cucumber greenhouses in Finland. Dust samples were analysed gravimetrically. Endotoxins were analysed on filters by chromogenic Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay. Microbes were collected on filters, incubated and counted in three different culture media. Eight additional stationary samples of microbes were collected on a six-phase impactor.
The greenhouses were generally clean and well organised, but skin protection was deficient. The median of personal dust exposure was 0.24 mg/m: 0.21 mg/m in the tomatohouses and 0.62 mg/m in the cucumber greenhouses. The mean level of bacteria in the tomato houses was 2.7 × 10 and in the cucumber houses 1.6×10. Those of fungi were 3.6 × 10 and 1.7 × 10 on Hagem and 8.1 × 10 and 1.9 × 10 on DG-18, respectively. The microbes made up about 1/10 of these values in the stationary samples. Very low concentrations of endotoxins were found in 5/23 air samples.
The clean appearance of the greenhouses was reflected in the low to moderate levels of dust. Risk phases of high exposure, such as lifting leaf debris, were identified. The microbe species were typical of this climate, and their levels were comparable to other greenhouse studies, but lower than in farming. Prevention among the foreign workforce is challenging due to the lack of a common language.
在芬兰和其他北欧国家，蔬菜温室工人全年都要暴露在空气中的灰尘和微生物中。本研究的目的是评估灰尘、内毒素和微生物的呼吸暴露，并确定呼吸和皮肤暴露的风险阶段，以促进安全的工作方法。
对温室中的工作进行了观察和结构化记录。从芬兰的八个番茄或黄瓜温室中收集了 23 个个人样本和 8 个尘埃、内毒素和微生物的固定样本。尘埃样本进行重量分析。内毒素在滤器上通过显色鲎变形细胞溶解物检测进行分析。微生物在滤器上收集、培养并在三种不同的培养基中计数。另外在六级撞击器上收集了 8 个微生物的固定样本。
温室一般清洁且组织良好，但皮肤保护不足。个人尘埃暴露的中位数为 0.24 毫克/立方米：番茄温室中为 0.21 毫克/立方米，黄瓜温室中为 0.62 毫克/立方米。番茄温室中细菌的平均值为 2.7×10，黄瓜温室中为 1.6×10。真菌的平均值分别为 Hagem 上的 3.6×10 和 1.7×10，DG-18 上的 8.1×10 和 1.9×10。这些值在固定样本中占微生物的 1/10。在 23 个空气样本中，只有 5 个样本中发现了非常低浓度的内毒素。
温室的清洁外观反映在低到中等水平的尘埃中。确定了高暴露的风险阶段，例如提起叶屑。微生物种类是该气候的典型代表，其水平与其他温室研究相当，但低于农业。由于缺乏共同语言，对外籍工人的预防具有挑战性。
