Occupational hazards and consequent health problems suffered by drivers in the public transport sector require preventive measures. The aim of this study was to assess the exposure of drivers to microbiological air contamination (airborne bacteria and fungi) in buses. The air in public transport vehicles was examined in autumn, winter and spring. To evaluate the exposure of drivers to bioaerosols, air samples were collected and examined for the total number of bacteria and fungi in the air, the number of mesophilic aerobic bacteria specified by the number of colony forming units (CFU) per 1 m of air. The results of the research show that public transport as a workplace can be considered to be a significant risk to health.
The study aimed to determine the level of microbial contamination of black and green teas with different degrees of fragmentation. The microbiological analysis we conducted on 18 black and green teas available commercially on the market. Solutions were prepared from the weighed samples and then inoculated on sterile microbial media. Teas in bags proved to be the most polluted among the tested tea groups. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences in mycological contamination between black and green teas of various degrees of fragmentation. Green tea in bags manifested the highest fungal contamination -9.3×10 3 CFU/g, significantly exceeding the other teas. Isolated fungi belonged to Aspergillus sp., Cryptococcus sp., Rhizopus sp., Mucor sp., Penicillium sp. and Cladosporium sp. The lowest number of fungi we observed in the group of green leaf teas -1.7×10 2 CFU/g. We recorded the most significant number of Gram-positive bacteria in deciduous black tea -1.8×10 3 CFU/g. The correlation between the degree of tea fragmentation and their microbial contamination has been demonstrated. Potentially pathogenic bacteria isolated from black and green tea can pose a threat to the health of consumers.
The article presents the principles of modeling the physical load assessment of farmers using Bayesian Network technology. Despite rapid development of mechanization and automation of work processes in agriculture, many farmers use their own physical strength, such as manual handling of loads. There are periods in which a farmer performs several or even a dozen of variety activities during the 24 hours. It often happens that all these activities do in a hurry, without rest, working after several hours a day, which further strengthens his physical load. The variety of activities often causes problems with the use indicators to assess the physical load gauges, so Bayesian Network technology was used to develop the evaluation model.
Objective. The objective of the study was recognition of the opinions of rural women living in the Bieszczady region of south-eastern Poland, concerning their perception of the degree of severity of work. The study was conducted among the inhabitants of the Cisna commune. Materials and method. The basic research instrument was a questionnaire form containing 15 items. The study covered 101 women living in the Cisna commune in the Bieszczady. The self-reported degree of work load on a farm was analyzed among women who were occupationally active, and those who were not occupationally active. The effect of assistance from family members on the severity of work perceived by women was considered. Results. The women in the study focused on agro-tourism, a few of them were engaged in agricultural work and the majority worked in household gardens. The study showed that occupationally active women work considerably longer, on average, and are the most loaded, compared to those not engaged in occupational activity. The mean daily time devoted to duties on a farm did not significantly differ between occupationally active and non-active women, and amounted to 380 and 320 minutes, respectively. The majority of women who were non-active occupationally evaluated their household chores as the highest work load. In turn, the women who undertook occupational activity assessed them as most burdensome, despite great help from their family. The body positions assumed while performing field work were: standing, standing-bent-over, and walking. The mean evaluations of work load while standing and standing-bent-over did not significantly differ, but affected the work load among women who, however, could not assess the severity of their work resulting from the body position assumed.
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