Assessment of bioaerosols and inhalable dust exposure in Swiss sawmills.

An assessment of wood workers' exposure to airborne cultivable bacteria, fungi, inhalable endotoxins and inhalable organic dust was performed at 12 sawmills that process mainly coniferous wood species. In each plant, samples were collected at four or five different work sites (debarking, sawing, sorting, planing and sawing cockpit) and the efficiency of sampling devices (impinger or filter) for determining endotoxins levels was evaluated. Results show that fungi are present in very high concentrations (up to 35 000 CFU m(-3)) in all sawmills. We also find that there are more bioaerosols at the sorting work site (mean +/- SD: 7723 +/- 9919 CFU m(-3) for total bacteria, 614 +/- 902 CFU m(-3) for Gram-negative, 19 438 +/- 14 246 CFU m(-3) for fungi, 7.0 +/- 9.0 EU m(-3) for endotoxin and 2.9 +/- 4.8 g m(-3) for dust) than at the sawing station (mean +/- SD: 1938 +/- 2478 CFU m(-3) for total bacteria, 141 +/- 206 CFU m(-3) for Gram-negative, 12 207 +/- 10 008 CFU m(-3) for fungi, 2.1 +/- 1.9 EU m(-3) for endotoxin and 0.75 +/- 0.49 mg m(-3) for dust). At the same time, the species composition and concentration of airborne Gram-negative bacteria were studied. Penicillinium sp. were the predominant fungi, while Bacillus sp. and the Pseudomonadacea family were the predominant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria encountered, respectively.

[1]  W. Eduard,et al.  Relationships between exposure to spores from Rhizopus microsporus and Paecilomyces variotii and serum IgG antibodies in wood trimmers. , 1992, International archives of allergy and immunology.

[2]  J. Douwes,et al.  Worker exposures to airborne dust, endotoxin and beta(1,3)-glucan in two New Zealand sawmills. , 2000, American journal of industrial medicine.

[3]  J J May,et al.  Levels of bacteria, fungi, and endotoxin in bulk and aerosolized corn silage , 1989, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[4]  Y. Cormier,et al.  Respiratory Health Impact of Working in Sawmills in Eastern Canada , 2000, Archives of environmental health.

[5]  L. Belin,et al.  Recognition of allergic alveolitis in the trimming department of a Swedish sawmill. , 1980, European journal of respiratory diseases. Supplement.

[6]  W. Liese Biological Transformation of Wood by Microorganisms , 1975, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

[7]  A. Hocking,et al.  Work-related symptoms and dose-response relationships for personal exposures and pulmonary function among woodworkers. , 1999, American journal of industrial medicine.

[8]  K. Teschke,et al.  Exposure to dust, resin acids, and monoterpenes in softwood lumber mills. , 2000, AIHAJ : a journal for the science of occupational and environmental health and safety.

[9]  A. Hocking,et al.  Dust exposures in the wood processing industry. , 1999, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[10]  D. Halpin,et al.  Extrinsic allergic alveolitis and asthma in a sawmill worker: case report and review of the literature. , 1994, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[11]  G. Hedenstierna,et al.  Lung function and rhizopus antibodies in wood trimmers , 1986, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[12]  Y. Cormier,et al.  Comparison of Endotoxin Exposure Assessment by Bioaerosol Impinger and Filter-Sampling Methods , 2001, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

[13]  U. Ulfvarson,et al.  Acute effects on forced expiratory volume in one second and longitudinal change in pulmonary function among wood trimmers. , 1994, American journal of industrial medicine.

[14]  H. Greaves The Effect of Subtrate Availability on Cellulolytic Enzyme Production by Selected Wood-Rotting Microorganisms , 1971 .

[15]  J. F. Levy Colonisation of Wood by Fungi , 1975 .

[16]  J. Douwes,et al.  Towards an occupational exposure limit for endotoxins , 1997 .

[17]  M. Riley,et al.  An epidemic of burkholderia cepacia transmitted between patients with and without cystic fibrosis. , 1999, The Journal of infectious diseases.

[18]  L. Belin Clinical and immunological data on "wood trimmer's disease" in Sweden. , 1980, European journal of respiratory diseases. Supplement.

[19]  J. Dutkiewicz,et al.  Response of sawmill workers to work-related airborne allergens. , 2001, Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM.

[20]  Z. Prażmo,et al.  Gram-negative bacteria associated with timber as a potential respiratory hazard for woodworkers , 2000 .

[21]  M. Chan-yeung,et al.  Characterization of health effects of wood dust exposures. , 1990, American journal of industrial medicine.

[22]  J L Hankinson,et al.  Inhaled endotoxin and decreased spirometric values. An exposure-response relation for cotton dust. , 1987, The New England journal of medicine.

[23]  J. Milanowski,et al.  Exposure to airborne microorganisms in furniture factories. , 2002, Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM.

[24]  Y. Cormier,et al.  Assessment of particulates and bioaerosols in eastern Canadian sawmills. , 2000, AIHAJ : a journal for the science of occupational and environmental health and safety.

[25]  D. Larone Medically Important Fungi: A Guide to Identification , 1976 .

[26]  K Teschke,et al.  What to do about softwood? A review of respiratory effects and recommendations regarding exposure limits. , 1997, American journal of industrial medicine.

[27]  Z. Prażmo,et al.  Exposure to airborne microorganisms in Polish sawmills. , 2001, Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM.

[28]  A. Hocking,et al.  Effects of personal exposures on pulmonary function and work-related symptoms among sawmill workers. , 2000, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[29]  M. Dahlqvist Lung function and exposure to paper dust in bookbinders--a pilot study. , 1992, Upsala journal of medical sciences.

[30]  W Eduard,et al.  Serum IgG antibodies to mold spores in two Norwegian sawmill populations: relationship to respiratory and other work-related symptoms. , 1993, American journal of industrial medicine.