TY - JOUR
T1 - Personal exposure to airborne dust and microorganisms in agricultural environments
AU - Lee, Shu An
AU - Adhikari, Atin
AU - Grinshpun, Sergey A.
AU - McKay, Roy
AU - Shukla, Rakesh
AU - Reponen, Tiina
PY - 2006/3/1
Y1 - 2006/3/1
N2 - Airborne dust and microorganisms are associated with respiratory diseases and increased mortality and morbidity. Farmers are at high risk of exposure to both of these hazards. Very limited information, however, is available on the combined exposures to both hazards on different types of farms. Moreover, most of the previous studies have measured the mass concentration of particles ignoring the particle size. In this study, farmers' exposure to airborne dust and microorganisms was studied using our newly developed personal sampling system. Particle number concentration and size distribution were measured with an optical particle counter. Simultaneously, particles were collected on a filter and analyzed for microorganisms. The field measurements were conducted in animal confinements (swine, poultry, and dairy) and during grain harvesting (corn and soybean). The results show the following average concentrations on the workers' breathing zone: 1.7 × 106 to 2.9 × 10 7 particles/m3 for total dust, 0.9 × 103 to 3.9 × 104 spores/m3 for total fungal spores, 0.3 × 103 to 3.6 × 104 CFU/m3 for culturable fungal spores, 0.3 × 104 to 3.3 × 10 8 CFU/m3 for culturable bacteria, and limit of detection (LOD) to 2.8 × 103 CFU/m3 for culturable actinomycetes in animal confinements. The respective concentrations were 4.4 × 106 to 5.8 × 107 particles/m3, 3.4 × 104 to 6.1 × 106 spores/m3, 8.2 × 10× to 7.4 × 106 CFU/m3, 0.4 × 105 to 1.4 × 106 CFU/m3, and LOD to 2.6 × 104 CFU/m3 during grain harvesting. The highest contribution of large particles (3-10 μm) in total particles was found during grain harvesting, whereas the size distribution was dominated by smaller particles (<3 μm) in animal confinements. High fraction (up to 37%) of particles between 2-10 μm was found to be fungal spores. The results indicate that an increase in the concentration of large dust particles (2-10 μm) during grain harvesting was partially attributed to the increase in the concentration of the fungal spores. Overall, the combined exposure to airborne dust and microorganisms was found to be more severe during harvesting than in animal confinements.
AB - Airborne dust and microorganisms are associated with respiratory diseases and increased mortality and morbidity. Farmers are at high risk of exposure to both of these hazards. Very limited information, however, is available on the combined exposures to both hazards on different types of farms. Moreover, most of the previous studies have measured the mass concentration of particles ignoring the particle size. In this study, farmers' exposure to airborne dust and microorganisms was studied using our newly developed personal sampling system. Particle number concentration and size distribution were measured with an optical particle counter. Simultaneously, particles were collected on a filter and analyzed for microorganisms. The field measurements were conducted in animal confinements (swine, poultry, and dairy) and during grain harvesting (corn and soybean). The results show the following average concentrations on the workers' breathing zone: 1.7 × 106 to 2.9 × 10 7 particles/m3 for total dust, 0.9 × 103 to 3.9 × 104 spores/m3 for total fungal spores, 0.3 × 103 to 3.6 × 104 CFU/m3 for culturable fungal spores, 0.3 × 104 to 3.3 × 10 8 CFU/m3 for culturable bacteria, and limit of detection (LOD) to 2.8 × 103 CFU/m3 for culturable actinomycetes in animal confinements. The respective concentrations were 4.4 × 106 to 5.8 × 107 particles/m3, 3.4 × 104 to 6.1 × 106 spores/m3, 8.2 × 10× to 7.4 × 106 CFU/m3, 0.4 × 105 to 1.4 × 106 CFU/m3, and LOD to 2.6 × 104 CFU/m3 during grain harvesting. The highest contribution of large particles (3-10 μm) in total particles was found during grain harvesting, whereas the size distribution was dominated by smaller particles (<3 μm) in animal confinements. High fraction (up to 37%) of particles between 2-10 μm was found to be fungal spores. The results indicate that an increase in the concentration of large dust particles (2-10 μm) during grain harvesting was partially attributed to the increase in the concentration of the fungal spores. Overall, the combined exposure to airborne dust and microorganisms was found to be more severe during harvesting than in animal confinements.
KW - Agricultural farms
KW - Bacteria
KW - Dust
KW - Fungi
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745611817&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/15459620500524607
DO - 10.1080/15459620500524607
M3 - Article
C2 - 16484176
AN - SCOPUS:33745611817
SN - 1545-9624
VL - 3
SP - 118
EP - 130
JO - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
JF - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
IS - 3
ER -
