| Document ID (ISN) | 74177 |
| CIS number |
99-2062 |
| ISSN - Serial title |
0025-7818 - Medicina del lavoro |
| Year |
1998 |
| Convention or series no. |
|
| Author(s) |
Giubileo L., Sarti A.M., Bianchi L.A., Calcaterra E., Colombi A. |
| Title |
Review of risks of biological agents and preventive measures to safeguard the health of compost production workers |
| Original title |
Rassegna dei rischi da agenti biologici e interventi preventivi per la tutela della salute degli addetti agli impianti di produzione del compost [in Italian] |
| Bibliographic information |
July-Aug. 1998, Vol.89, No.4, p.301-315. 34 ref. |
| Abstract |
This review of studies made in the compost production industry shows that the biological agents posing a risk for workers are fungi and thermophilic bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and endotoxins, with a prevalent inhalation exposure to airborne contaminated dusts. Medical examinations revealed cases of extrinsic allergic alveolitis due to A. fumigatus, and, more frequently, irritative and infectious disorders occurring expecially in conditions of poor environmental hygiene and macroscopic dust pollution. Concerning the evaluation of air dispersion of microorganisms, which is high in compost transport and turning operations, there are no exposure limit values for biological agents at present. Technical measures to avoid environmental macroscopic dispersion of dusts should be complemented by measurement of airborne microbiological contaminants. Health surveillance is needed to identify subjects with hypersusceptibility to the infectious action of pathogenetic and/or allergenic agents or with hypersensitivity to these, and for periodic checks of the respiratory system. Topics: bacteria; bacterial toxins; biological hazards; compost; evaluation of control measures; fungi; hazard evaluation; literature survey; respirable dust; threshold limit values. |
| Descriptors (primary) |
compost; biological hazards; respirable dust |
| Descriptors (secondary) |
literature survey; threshold limit values; bacteria; evaluation of control measures; fungi; hazard evaluation; bacterial toxins |
| Document type |
D - Periodical articles |
| Country / State or Province | Italy |
| Subject(s) |
Toxic and dangerous substances
|
| Broad subject area(s) |
Biological hazards
|
| Browse category(ies) |
Biological hazards
|
