Bioaerosols in Midwest Greenhouses and Respiratory Symptoms Among the Workers

中西部温室中的生物气溶胶和工人的呼吸道症状

• 批准号: 7642428
• 负责人: ATIN ADHIKARI
• 金额: $ 8.35万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-08-01 至 2010-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7642428
• 关键词: Bioaerosols; Midwest; Greenhouses; Respiratory; Symptoms

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Estimated economic impacts of the US Green Industry are 1,964,339 jobs, and $147.8 billion in output, of which 27% is represented by the greenhouse and nursery sector. Little research has been conducted so far in the United States on the exposure to respiratory sensitizer bioaerosols in greenhouses and their association with allergic rhinitis, occupational asthma, and other respiratory health problems of the workers. The goal of this study is to collect pilot data for an ensuing R01 proposal addressing exposure risks to respiratory health hazards, prevalence of respiratory symptoms among the Green Industry workers, and exploring intervention methods at the same time considering the possible protective effect of endotoxin and (1?3)-¿-D-glucan exposures against allergen sensitizations. Workers' exposures to airborne pollen, molds, bacteria, actinomycete, endotoxin, and (1?3)-¿-D-glucans in three Midwest greenhouses will be investigated during spring and winter and the concentrations will be compared with reported levels in the greenhouses of other countries, other agricultural workplaces, and nearby ambient air. The work-shift average and task-specific exposures to bioaerosols will be studied by using inhalable samplers during different work tasks. To understand the sources of bioaerosols, surface sampling of biological particles on the floors and hard surfaces will be performed. Moreover, potential source strengths of these surfaces for aerosolizing biological particles will be determined by Fungal Spore Source Strength Tester developed by our research group. Environmental parameters including temperature, relative humidity, and wind velocity will be measured during each air sampling experiment. The correlation between different environmental variables and bioaerosol exposure levels will be determined. To understand the prevalence of rhinitis, wheezing, respiratory allergies, asthma, and other respiratory symptoms among the greenhouse workers and its association with different greenhouse work tasks and bioaerosol levels, a preliminary questionnaire survey will be conducted involving 45 workers and 15 control subjects from three greenhouses. The proposed project is relevant for the NORA2's 'Agriculture, forestry, and fishing' sector group, three cross-sector programs (Health hazard evaluation, Respiratory diseases, and Communications and information dissemination) and two coordinated emphasis areas.

描述（由申请人提供）：美国绿色产业的预计经济影响为 1,964,339 个就业岗位和 1,478 亿美元的产出，其中 27% 来自温室和苗圃部门。迄今为止，美国对温室中呼吸致敏生物气溶胶的暴露及其与工人过敏性鼻炎、职业性哮喘和其他呼吸系统健康问题的关系进行的研究还很少。本研究的目的是为随后的 R01 提案收集试点数据，该提案涉及呼吸道健康危害的暴露风险、绿色产业工人中呼吸道症状的患病率，并探索干预措施 同时考虑内毒素和(1?3)-¿-D-葡聚糖暴露对过敏原致敏可能的保护作用。春季和冬季将调查中西部三个温室中工人接触空气中花粉、霉菌、细菌、放线菌、内毒素和 (1?3)-¿-D-葡聚糖的情况，并将这些浓度与其他国家温室、其他农业工作场所和附近环境空气中报告的浓度进行比较。将通过在不同工作任务期间使用可吸入采样器来研究轮班平均和特定任务的生物气溶胶暴露。为了了解生物气溶胶的来源，将对地板和硬表面上的生物颗粒进行表面采样。此外，这些表面雾化生物颗粒的潜在源强度将通过我们研究组开发的真菌孢子源强度测试仪来确定。在每次空气采样实验中，将测量包括温度、相对湿度和风速在内的环境参数。将确定不同环境变量与生物气溶胶暴露水平之间的相关性。为了解温室工人中鼻炎、喘息、呼吸道过敏、哮喘等呼吸道症状的患病情况及其与不同温室工作任务和生物气溶胶水平的关系，将对45名工人进行初步问卷调查 以及来自三个温室的 15 名对照对象。拟议项目与 NORA2 相关 “农林渔业”部门组，三个跨部门项目（健康危害评估、 呼吸系统疾病、通信和信息传播）和两个协调的重点领域。