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a National Institute
of Occupational Health, PO Box 8149 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway, b Environmental and Occupational Health Group,
University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands, c Wellington Asthma Research
Group, Wellington School of Medicine, Wellington, New Zealand, d National
Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
Correspondence to: Dr W Eduard wijnand.eduard{at}stami.no
Accepted 12 September
2000
OBJECTIVES
Exposure to
high levels of non-infectious microbial agents is recognised as a cause
of respiratory disease in working populations, but except for
endotoxins, little is known about exposure-response relations. As these
effects do not depend on viability, exposure to non-viable microbial
agents is important. Various methods not based on microbial cultures were explored to study the complex microbial exposure of farmers and associations with acute symptoms during work.
METHODSAirborne
exposure was measured when farmers carried out specific tasks. Fungal
spores, bacteria, endotoxins, 
(1
3)-glucans, fungal antigens
specific for Penicillium and
Aspergillus species, and mites were measured
by methods not based on microbial cultures. Also silica, inorganic and
organic dust, ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, and nitrogen dioxide were
measured. Respiratory, and nose and eye symptoms experienced during
measurements were recorded by a short questionnaire. Both univariate
and multivariate statistical analyses were applied to assess the
relations between exposure and acute symptoms.
RESULTS106 Farmers
and their spouses participated in this study. Prevalences of work
related symptoms were: wheezing 3%; chest tightness 7%; cough 14%;
eye symptoms 18%; and nose symptoms 22%. Prevalence ratios for nose
and eye symptoms were 4-8 after exposure to 20-500×103
fungal spores/m3 and higher, and a prevalence ratio for
cough was 4 after exposure to 500-17 000×103 fungal
spores/m3. Nose symptoms were also associated with exposure
to silica with prevalence ratios of 4-6 after exposure to 0.015-0.075
mg /m3 and higher.
CONCLUSIONSFarmers
had a high occurrence of symptoms of the nose and eyes as well as cough
during work. These symptoms were associated in a dose dependent manner
with exposure to fungal spores. Nose symptoms were also associated with
exposure to silica.
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