Occupational exposure to particulate matter and fungi in a composting plant: ca...

• Author(s): Viegas, Susana ; Almeida-Silva, Marina ; Sabino, Raquel ; Viegas, Carla
• Date: 2014
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/3229
• Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa
• Subject(s): Occupational exposure; Particulate matter; Fungi; Composting; Aspergillus flavus; Aspergillus fumigatus; Aspergillus niger; Aspergillus genus; Portugal
• Document Type: Part of book or chapter of book
• Language: English

Description

The handling of waste can be responsible for occupational exposure to particles and fungi. The aim of this study was to characterize exposure to particles and fungi in a composting plant. Measurements of particulate matter were performed using portable direct-reading equipment. Air samples of 50L were collected through an impaction method with a flow rate of 140L/min onto malt extract agar supplemented with chloramphenicol (0.05%). Surfaces samples were also collected. All the samples were incubated at 27ºC for 5 to 7 days. Particulate matter data showed higher contamination for PM, and PM10 sizes. Aspergillus genus presents the highest air prevalence (90.6%). Aspergillus niger (32.6%), A. fumigatus (26.5%) and A. flavus (16.3%) were the most prevalent fungi in air sampling, and Mucor sp. (39.2%), Aspergillus niger (30.9%) and A. fumigatus (28.7%) were the most found in surfaces. the results obtained claim the attention to the need of further research.