Organic dust-related respiratory and eye irritation in Norwegian farmers
✍ Scribed by Erik Melbostad; Wijnand Eduard
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2001
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 143 KB
- Volume
- 39
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0271-3586
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Background:
Information on exposure to organic dust and work-related symptoms in farmers is sparse.
Methods:
An exposure study was nested in a survey of 8,482 farmers and spouses. task-related respiratory and eye symptoms were recorded by questionnaire. personal exposure to total dust, fungal spores, bacteria, endotoxins, and ammonia during 12 different tasks was measured in a random sample of 127 farms (288 measurements).
Results:
The prevalence of work-related symptoms occurring "often" was 31% and "seldom" 35%. specific tasks provoking symptoms were reported by 5-55% of the farmers. task mean exposures ranged from 0.04 to 2 mg dust/m(3), 0.02 x 10(6) to 2 x 10(6) fungal spores/m(3), 0.2 x 10(6) to 48 x 10(6) bacteria/m(3), 0.5 x 10(3) to 28 x 10(3) endotoxin units/m(3), and 0 to 8 ppm ammonia. task mean exposure levels were positively correlated with task-specific symptom prevalences for total dust, fungal spores, and endotoxins but not for bacteria and ammonia.
Conclusion:
Work-related symptoms are common in farmers and are associated with exposure to total dust, fungal spores, and endotoxins.