Suchergebnisse

Abstract
This cross-sectional study aims to obtain knowledge about workers' exposure to airborne dust, bacterial and fungal species, endotoxin, biofilm formation, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in drilling waste treatment plants. In total, 408 full-shift personal samples, 66 work areas, 40 drilling waste, and reference (outdoor air and seawater) samples were analyzed. Some workers were exposed to high levels of endotoxin (207 EU/m3), bacteria (3.8 × 104 colony forming units (CFU)/m3 and 9.8 × 104 DNA copies/m3), or fungi (1.4 × 107 CFU/m3 and 3,600 copies/m3). The exposure levels to endotoxin, bacteria, and peaks of H2S were dependent on the treatment technique. All types of drilling waste contained large concentrations of bacteria compared to the seawater references. Elevated concentrations of airborne bacteria were found close to drilling waste basins. In total, 116, 146, and 112 different bacterial species were found in workers' exposure, work areas, and the drilling waste, respectively. An overlap in bacterial species found in the drilling waste and air (personal and work area) samples was found. Of the bacterial species found, 49 are classified as human pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, and Klebsiella oxytoca. In total, 44 fungal species were found in the working environment, and 6 of these are classified as human pathogens such as Aspergillus fumigatus. In conclusion, across the drilling waste treatment plants, human pathogens were present in the drilling waste, and workers' exposure was affected by the drilling waste treated at the plants with elevated exposure to endotoxin and bacteria. Elevated exposure was related to working as apprentices or chemical engineers, and working with cleaning, or slop water, and working in the daytime.

Abstract
Occupational exposure to bioaerosols (fungi, bacteria, and endotoxin) may be associated with early signs of health effects of the airways measured as elevated levels of inflammatory markers in serum samples. The aim of this study is to obtain knowledge about the contribution of endotoxin, different fungal and bacterial species, and dust to the inflammatory potential of bioaerosols from different working environments. Using personal samplers, bioaerosols were sampled in the inhalation zone of workers in different occupational settings. Fungal and bacterial species were identified to species level using MALDI-TOF MS. The ability of workers' exposure to induce production of reactive oxidative species was analysed in a human cell line. Levels of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A were measured in blood samples of the workers. The fungal and bacterial composition as well as species richness and endotoxin exposure level differed between working environments. Among the dominating microorganisms were different Staphylococcus species (work with animals), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (work with plants), and Aspergillus niger (work with waste). While pigeon house dust was cytotoxic, pig farm dust was highly inflammogenic. The biofilm forming capacity of the exposure correlated with bacterial concentration in high exposure samples. Serum levels of inflammatory markers were associated significantly with occupational exposure to endotoxin for work with plants and waste water. As the next step, we are analysing whether this association is also found for work in other environments and whether it is associated with exposure to different microorganisms.