A 5-year follow-up study on respiratory disorders and lung function in workers exposed to organic dust from composting plants

Bünger, Jürgen; Schappler-Scheele, B; Hilgers, Reinhard; Hallier, Ernst

doi:10.1007/s00420-006-0135-2

Cited by 127 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The health studies have design limitations, generally involving small numbers of subjects and, in the community studies, reliant on self-reported outcomes that may be prone to bias. Further, with the exception of one cohort study that was undertaken over the course of 5 years (Bünger et al, 2007), studies were either of short time scales or cross-sectional in design, which limits interpretation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thirteen occupational studies measured personal exposure of compost workers to different bioaerosol components (Bünger et al, 2007;Crook et al, 2008;Drew et al, 2007;Douwes et al, 1997;Epstein et al, 2001;Krajewski et al, 2002;Schlosser et al, 2009;Sigsgaard et al, 1994;Stagg et al, 2010;Sykes et al, 2011;Taha et al, 2007;Wheeler et al, 2001), detecting significantly high concentrations of actinomycetes, Aspergillus fumigatus, fungi, and endotoxin (Stagg et al, 2010), and elevated personal exposure levels of endotoxin in workers, particularly during composting agitation activities (Sykes et al, 2011). Four occupational studies measured mesophilic mould/fungi (Reinthaler et al, 2004;Schlosser et al, 2009;Tolvanen et al, 2005;van Kampen et al, 2014).…”

Section: Exposure Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exposures and Health Outcomes in Relation to Bioaerosol Emissions From Composting Facilities: A Systematic Review of Occupational and Community Studies

Pearson

Littlewood

Douglas

et al. 2015

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B

142

109

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The number of composting sites in Europe is rapidly increasing, due to efforts to reduce the fraction of waste destined for landfill, but evidence on possible health impacts is limited. This article systematically reviews studies related to bioaerosol exposures within and near composting facilities and associated health effects in both community and occupational health settings. Six electronic databases and bibliographies from January 1960 to July 2014 were searched for studies reporting on health outcomes and/or bioaerosol emissions related to composting sites. Risk of bias was assessed using a customized score. Five hundred and thirty-six papers were identified and reviewed, and 66 articles met the inclusion criteria (48 exposure studies, 9 health studies, 9 health and exposure studies). Exposure information was limited, with most measurements taken in occupational settings and for limited time periods. Bioaerosol concentrations were highest on-site during agitation activities (turning, shredding, and screening). Six studies detected concentrations of either Aspergillus fumigatus or total bacteria above the English Environment Agency's recommended threshold levels beyond 250 m from the site. Occupational studies of compost workers suggested elevated risks of respiratory illnesses with higher bioaerosol exposures. Elevated airway irritation was reported in residents near composting sites, but this may have been affected by reporting bias. The evidence base on health effects of bioaerosol emissions from composting facilities is still limited, although there is sufficient evidence to support a precautionary approach for regulatory purposes. While data to date are suggestive of possible respiratory effects, further study is needed to confirm this and to explore other health outcomes.Waste management policy is rapidly evolving, largely because European countries are running out of space for landfill sites. Further, poor waste management contributes to climate change and threatens environmental sustainability. It is estimated that each tonne of food waste diverted from landfill to composting

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Exposure Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposures and Health Outcomes in Relation to Bioaerosol Emissions From Composting Facilities: A Systematic Review of Occupational and Community Studies

Pearson

Littlewood

Douglas

et al. 2015

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B

142

109

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Occupational exposure to bioaerosols can cause various adverse health effects, such as infectious diseases, acute toxic effects, and allergies (Douwes et al, 2003;Bunger et al, 2007). Workers from specific occupational settings, such as agricultural farms and composting facilities, may be exposed to high fungal bioaerosol concentrations, resulting in increased respiratory symptoms and decreased lung functions (Bunger et al, 2007;Adhikari et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal Bioaerosol Exposure and its Effects on the Health of Mushroom and Vegetable Farm Workers in Taiwan

Tarigan

Chen

Lin

et al. 2017

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

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Workers from specific occupational settings may be exposed to high fungal bioaerosol concentrations, causing detrimental health effects. Therefore, we conducted a study to evaluate the characteristics and health effects of fungal bioaerosols present on agricultural farms. By using IOM inhalable dust samplers, personal and area samples of airborne fungi were collected from five agricultural farms-two mushroom and three vegetable farms. A standardized questionnaire and spirometry were used to evaluate workers' health. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to examine the distributions of fungal and environmental factors among the different farms, and regression analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of personal bioaerosol exposure on workers' health. In the personal samples, the geometric mean concentrations ranged from 4.3 × 10 3 to 3.0 × 10 4 CFU m -3 for total culturable fungi and from 4.2 × 10 3 to 1.2 × 10 5 spores m -3 for total fungal spores. The total fungal spore concentrations differed significantly among the personal samples (p = 0.026), but not among the area samples, from the five farms. The culturable fungal concentrations among the five farms did not differ significantly in the personal or area samples. Decreased lung functions of the workers were significantly associated with the concentrations of total fungi and several fungal taxa such as Ascospores, Fusarium, and Periconia. This study demonstrated that exposure to high fungal bioaerosol concentrations reduced the lung functions of the mushroom and vegetable farm workers. Superior ventilation and appropriate personal protection equipment are required to reduce occupational biohazards.

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“…However, quantitative evidence on both exposure and response to bioaerosols from waste composting is limited (Pearson et al 2015) and there are few studies looking at health effects of waste composting (Giusti 2009;Pearson et al 2015;Searl, 2008;Wéry 2014). Occupational health studies of compost site workers have mainly focussed on respiratory impacts (Pearson et al 2015), with some studies showing reduction in lung function (Bunger et al 2007;Sigsgaard et al 1994); respiratory symptoms (Bünger et al 2000;Hambach et al 2012) and symptoms consistent with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (Bünger et al 2007;Hambach et al 2012;van Kampen et al 2014); and increased chronic bronchitis (Bünger et al 2007). Community studies have reported increases in respiratory symptoms and throat and eye irritation near sites (Pearson et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Respiratory hospital admission risk near large composting facilities

Douglas

Bakolis

Fecht

et al. 2016

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

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A 5-year follow-up study on respiratory disorders and lung function in workers exposed to organic dust from composting plants

Cited by 127 publications

References 22 publications

Exposures and Health Outcomes in Relation to Bioaerosol Emissions From Composting Facilities: A Systematic Review of Occupational and Community Studies

Exposures and Health Outcomes in Relation to Bioaerosol Emissions From Composting Facilities: A Systematic Review of Occupational and Community Studies

Fungal Bioaerosol Exposure and its Effects on the Health of Mushroom and Vegetable Farm Workers in Taiwan

Respiratory hospital admission risk near large composting facilities

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