Anne Mette Madsen, Pil Uthaug Rasmussen, Mohammad Seeiar Delsuz, Margit W Frederiksen
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Recycling demands are increasing and new biowaste plants are established. The aim of this study is to obtain knowledge about occupational hygiene in biowaste pretreatment plants. At 6 plants, bioaerosol exposure, hand hygiene, and bioaerosol concentrations in work areas were investigated repeatedly. The total inflammatory potential (TIP) of exposures was measured using the human HL-60 cell line. Exposure to airborne bacteria, bacteria able to grow anaerobic, fungi(37°C), endotoxin, and TIP differed between plants and was lowest in a plant transporting waste in closed pipes compared to plants where waste was delivered on the receiving hall floor. Conversely, high exposures were measured in a plant that also processes compost. All microbial components had an impact on TIP of workers' exposure with main effects of fungi and endotoxin. Seasonality was found for several exposures and TIP, and they were lowest in the winter. Concentrations of bacteria and fungi on workers' hands at the end of the workday were 15 times higher for production than for nonproduction workers. In work areas, the concentrations of airborne fungi were highest in the waste-receiving area. Bacteria (3.2 µm) and anaerobic bacteria (4.0 µm) were present as larger airborne particles than fungi (2.8 µm), and bacteria were largest in the waste-receiving area. The microbial community compositions of exposures and work areas differed between plants and work areas. In conclusion, measures to reduce exposure should focus on the waste-receiving area and on the production workers. Differences in exposures and community compositions were found between seasons, work areas, work groups, and plants.
期刊介绍:
About the Journal
Annals of Work Exposures and Health is dedicated to presenting advances in exposure science supporting the recognition, quantification, and control of exposures at work, and epidemiological studies on their effects on human health and well-being. A key question we apply to submission is, "Is this paper going to help readers better understand, quantify, and control conditions at work that adversely or positively affect health and well-being?"
We are interested in high quality scientific research addressing:
the quantification of work exposures, including chemical, biological, physical, biomechanical, and psychosocial, and the elements of work organization giving rise to such exposures;
the relationship between these exposures and the acute and chronic health consequences for those exposed and their families and communities;
populations at special risk of work-related exposures including women, under-represented minorities, immigrants, and other vulnerable groups such as temporary, contingent and informal sector workers;
the effectiveness of interventions addressing exposure and risk including production technologies, work process engineering, and personal protective systems;
policies and management approaches to reduce risk and improve health and well-being among workers, their families or communities;
methodologies and mechanisms that underlie the quantification and/or control of exposure and risk.
There is heavy pressure on space in the journal, and the above interests mean that we do not usually publish papers that simply report local conditions without generalizable results. We are also unlikely to publish reports on human health and well-being without information on the work exposure characteristics giving rise to the effects. We particularly welcome contributions from scientists based in, or addressing conditions in, developing economies that fall within the above scope.