Across-Shift Changes in Viable Nasal Bacteria among Waste-Incineration Plant Workers-A Pilot Study

The aim of this pilot study was to assess the time-related changes in viable nasal bacteria concentrations among waste-incineration plant (WIP) workers compared to a group of office building (OB) workers outside the plant. In total, 20 volunteers participated in the study, including 14 WIP and 6 OB...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-07, Vol.19 (15), p.8984
Main Authors: Cyprowski, Marcin, Ławniczek-Wałczyk, Anna, Stobnicka-Kupiec, Agata, Gołofit-Szymczak, Małgorzata, Górny, Rafał L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosols - analysis
Air Microbiology
Airborne bacteria
Airborne microorganisms
Anaerobic bacteria
Bacteria
Bioaerosols
Combustion
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Escherichia coli
Farmworkers
Humans
Incineration
Incineration plants
Laboratories
Microorganisms
Occupational exposure
Occupational Exposure - analysis
Office buildings
Outdoor air quality
Pilot Projects
Quantitative analysis
Repair & maintenance
Size distribution
Staphylococcus infections
Subgroups
Workers
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Summary:The aim of this pilot study was to assess the time-related changes in viable nasal bacteria concentrations among waste-incineration plant (WIP) workers compared to a group of office building (OB) workers outside the plant. In total, 20 volunteers participated in the study, including 14 WIP and 6 OB workers. WIP workers were divided into two sub-groups: supervisory staff (SVS) and maintenance and repair workers (MRW). Nasal swabs were collected before and after the morning work shift. Airborne bacteria were sampled with a six-stage impactor to assess the bioaerosol size distribution. The analysis showed that a significant, almost three-fold increase in nasal bacterial concentration was found only among WIP workers, and this referred mainly to anaerobic species. The load of anaerobic bacteria at the beginning of work was 12,988 CFU/mL, and after work shift 36,979 CFU/mL (p < 0.01). Significant increases in microbial concentrations was found only in the MRW subgroup, among non-smoking workers only. The results showed increased bacterial concentration in WIP nasal samples for as many as 12 bacterial species, including, e.g., Streptococcus constellatus, Peptostreptococcus spp., E. coli, and P. mirabilis. These preliminary data confirmed that the nasal swab method was helpful for assessment of the workers’ real-time exposure to airborne bacteria.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph19158984