Bioaerosols in Midwest Greenhouses and Respiratory Symptoms Among the Workers

描述（由申请人提供）：美国绿色产业的经济影响估计为1，964，339个工作岗位和1478亿美元的产出，其中27%由温室和苗圃部门代表。到目前为止，美国对温室中呼吸道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道健康问题的关系几乎没有进行过研究。本研究的目的是为随后的R 01提案收集试点数据，该提案涉及呼吸系统健康危害的暴露风险、绿色行业工人呼吸系统症状的患病率，并探索干预措施 方法同时考虑内毒素和（1？3）-<$-D-葡聚糖暴露于过敏原致敏。工人暴露于空气中的花粉，霉菌，细菌，放线菌，内毒素，和（1？3）-- 将在春季和冬季对三个中西部温室中的D-葡聚糖进行调查，并将其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的报告水平进行比较。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，这些表面的潜在源强度的雾化生物颗粒将确定由我们的研究小组开发的真菌孢子源强度测试仪。在每次空气采样实验期间，将测量环境参数，包括温度、相对湿度和风速。将确定不同环境变量与生物气溶胶接触水平之间的相关性。为了解温室工人鼻炎、喘息、呼吸道过敏、哮喘等呼吸道症状的患病率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 和来自三个温室的15个对照组。拟议项目与NORA 2有关， “农业、林业和渔业”部门小组，三个跨部门方案（健康危害评估， 呼吸系统疾病和传播和信息传播）和两个协调的重点领域。

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.