engleski

Analysis of dust samples from urban and rural occupational environments in Croatia

This study estimated the exposure to dust mites in various occupational environments in Croatia. In total, 29 occupational dust samples were collected: 10 from urban areas(offices, archive of an insurance company, tobacco, paper-recycling, fish-processing and textile plants, animal unit for experimental rats, winery), nine from rural areas(barley, hay, animal food and flour warehouses, tailor’ s shops, wood- processing plant, swine confinement house, grocer’ s storeroom), and 10 samples from cabins of five fishing boats (five floor and five bed samples). Mites were microscopically identified, and the levels of Der p 1, Der f 1, and Der 2 allergens measured using the DUSTSCREEN test (Heska AG, Switzerland). Microscopy showed no mites in urban areas.Pyroglyphid mites (D.pteronyssinus) were found in all bed samples from fishing boats. Non-pyroglyphid mites were found in samples from barley, hay and animal food warehouses, the swine confinement house, grocer's storeroom, and fishing-boats.Pyroglyphid mite allergens were detected in eight of 10 dust samples from the fishing-boats. Median levles of Der p 1, Der f 1, and Der 2 in cabin bed samples were 10&micro ; ; g/g, 0.2&micro ; ; g/g, and 3.5&micro ; ; g/g, respectively. Our findings on fishing boats suggests that pyroglyphid mites could be considered work-related allegens for fishermen.The results of this study confirmed non-pyroglyphid mites as occupational risk factors in various rural environments.

Acaridae; allergens; agricultural workers; dust mites; fishermen; occupational exposure; occupational hazard; Pyroglyphidae

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