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Professional exposure to airborne fungi in industrial environments – a pilot study

Poultry production and wood industry are significant sources of microbial air contamination. There are numerous reports on health outcomes in occupants exposed to airborne fungi including mucous membrane irritations, imunotoxicity and allergic diseases. The objectives of this pilot study were screening of airborne fungi in poultry farm (PF) and wood-producing factory (WPF) in Croatia and evaluation of potential risk of respiratory diseases. Thirty samples were taken at each industrial facility and outdoors (approx. at 200 m of distance), in October 2008 using airsampler Mas 100 (Merck) and Malt agar plates supplemented with antibiotics. Significantly lower concentrations of airborne fungi were detected in WPF (mean 1.8x103 CFU/m3) compared to PF (3.2x103 CFU/m3). 43% of samples from WPF were taken near working saws and had significantly higher levels of airborne fungi (mean 3.5x103 CFU/m3) than samples collected at few meters of distance from saws (mean 5x102 CFU/m3). Levels of airborne fungi in PF were in the same range. Outdoor concentration of airborne fungi was five times lower (mean 430 CFU/m3) than in PF and WPF suggesting the potential risk of developing respiratory diseases in occupants. Species of Rhizopus (63%), Penicillium, Cladosporium and Scopulariopsis (about 50%), Aspergillus and Trichoderma (16%), Alternaria and Paecilomyces (13%) prevailed in PF, while Penicillium (80%) and Cladosporium (63%) dominated over Paecilomyces and Aspergillus (37%), Chrysonilia and Trichoderma (about 30%) and Mucoraceae (10%) in WPF. Majority of identified fungi are potential allergens and some of them are potential producers of mycotoxins (species of Penicillium and Aspergillus), which possess imunotoxic activity. This pilot study contributes to the better understanding of the levels and composition of airborne fungi in particular industrial facilities and could be applied for creation of measures for reducing their levels in occupational environments as well as for standard drafting.

fungal allergies; poultry farm; wood factory; Aspergillus; Scopulariopsis

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