期刊名称：Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine
印刷版ISSN：1232-1966
电子版ISSN：1898-2263
出版年度：2015
卷号：22
期号：2
页码：253-258
DOI：10.5604/12321966.1152076
出版社：Institute of Agricultural Medicine in Lublin
摘要：Objectives. To study the associations between exposure to bioaerosols and work-related symptoms, lung function andbiomarkers of airway inflammation in compost workers.Materials and method. Personal full-shift exposure measurements were performed on 47 workers employed at five windrowplants (n=20) and five reactor plants (n=27). Samples were analyzed for endotoxins, bacteria, fungal and actinomycetes spores.Health examinations were performed on workers and 37 controls before and after work on the day exposure was measured.The examinations included symptoms recorded by questionnaire, lung function by spirometry and nasal dimensions byacoustic rhinometry (AR). The pneumoproteins CC16, SP-D and SP-A were measured in a blood sample drawn at the endof the day.Results. The levels of endotoxins (median 3 EU/m3, range 0–730 EU/m3) and actinomycetes spores (median 0.2 × 106 spores/m3,range 0–590 × 106 spores/m3) were significantly higher in reactor plants compared to windrow plants. However, windrowcomposting workers reported more symptoms than reactor composting workers, probably due to use of respiratoryprotection. Exposure-response relationships between actinomycetes spores exposure and respiratory effects, found ascough and nose irritation during a shift, was significantly increased (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.1–16, OR 6.1, 95% CI 1.5–25, respectively,p<0.05) among workers exposed to 0.02–0.3 × 106 actinomycetes spores/m3, and FEV1/FVC% decreased cross shift (b=–3.2,SE=1.5%, p<0.01). Effects were weaker in the highest exposed group, but these workers used respiratory protection, frequentlylimiting their actual exposure. No relationships were found between exposure and pneumoprotein concentrations.Conclusions. The major agent in the aerosol generated at compost plants was actinomycetes spores which was associatedwith work related cough symptoms and work-shift lung function decrease.
