Naslov
Occupational exposure to airborne fungi in two Croatian sawmills and atopy in exposed workers

Autori
Šegvić Klarić, Maja ; Varnai, Veda Marija ; Ljubičić Ćalušić, Anita ; Macan, Jelena

Izvornik
Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine (1232-1966) 19 (2012), 2; 213-219

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Penicillium; Chrysonilia; wood-processing industry; skin prick test

Sažetak
Airborne fungi were collected over one year period in two-month interval at two sawmills in Croatia (SM 1 and SM 2) processing mainly beechwood and oakwood. A questionnaire about respiratory symptoms and skin prick test (SPT) with common inhalatory allergens and moulds Cladosporium herbarum, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum, and Rhyzopus nigricans were performed in 96 workers from the same sawmills. Average concentrations of airborne fungi were 1696-7316 CFU/m3 in SM 1 and 1706-4819 CFU/m3 in SM 2, respectively. Health hazardous levels of airborne fungi (above 104) were present only in SM 1. These levels were related to saw working sites and were season-dependent, i.e. present only during the summer. Penicillium (50-100%), Paecilomyces (43-100%) and Chrysonilia (33-100%) dominated among 17 fungal genera identified in both sawmills. Symptoms of rhinitis, asthma, and dry cough were most frequently recorded among analyzed workers. SPT to moulds was negative in all tested workers, except one positive to R. nigricans, indicating that moderate airborne fungi levels found in analyzed sawmills were not related with IgE-mediated sensitization to moulds in exposed workers, even in atopics. Atopy was present among woodworkers in similar proportions as in general population of Croatia, suggesting that wood-processing industry is not selective for atopic workers.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita

POVEZANOST RADA