41 Results Found

Several studies have reported the incidence of fungi and mycotoxins in coffee beans; however, there are few reports related to occupational exposure to these agents at coffee dry milling industries. The aim of this review was to identify and to analy...

The sampling approach is of utmost importance to obtain data regarding microbial viability and truly assess workers’ potential health effects. The purpose of this assessment is to create a score which will provide up-to-date information to iden...

Possible health risks associated with occupational inhalation of mycotoxin-containing dust remain largely unknown, partly because methods for mycotoxin detection are not sensitive enough for the small dust masses obtained by personal sampling, which...

Organic dust is widespread in the environment including occupational settings, such as bakeries. Recently, a new collection device—the electrostatic dust cloth (EDC)—has been described for the assessment of occupational exposures. The aim of this stu...

Mycotoxins are toxic mold metabolites that can persist in environment long after the fungi species responsible for their production disappear. Critical workplace for mycotoxins presence has already been studied and nowadays it is possible to recogniz...

Background: Blastomycosis is an endemic fungal disease predominantly observed in the northern regions of North America. It manifests primarily as pulmonary disease but can also involve dissemination to the skin, bones, and genitourinary tract. Detail...

For decades, occupational exposure to flour dust has been linked to a range of respiratory diseases, including occupational asthma, thought to result from exposure to fungi present in the flour. Antifungal resistance is of increasing prevalence in cl...

In this study, the levels of airborne bacteria and fungi were tested in a female dormitory room; the effects of heating, relative humidity and number of occupants on indoor microorganisms were analyzed and the dose rate of exposure to microbes was as...

Electrostatic dust cloths (EDC) have been widely used for microbiologic contamination assessment in different indoor and occupational environments. This paper reviews sixteen studies performed in Portugal between 2018 and 2021 for evaluating the expo...

Home healthcare workers (HHCWs) are subjected to variable working environments which increase their risk of being exposed to numerous occupational hazards. One of the potential occupational hazards within the industry includes exposure to bioaerosols...

Swine production has been associated with health risks and workers’ symptoms. In Portugal, as in other countries, large-scale swine production involves several activities in the swine environment that require direct intervention, increasing workers’...

Despite their potential impact on meat safety and occupational health, fungi are often underestimated contaminants in slaughterhouses. Moulds and yeasts may be associated with meat contamination in multiple processing stages, and mycotoxigenic specie...

A study was carried out in a waste sorting plant (WSP) located in France, treating dry recyclable household waste (DRHW) as well as dry recyclable commercial and industrial waste (DRCIW). Stationary and personal inhalable samples were collected in th...

The composition of airborne microflora in sawmills may vary to a great degree depending on the kind of timber being processed and the technology of production being used. Cases of allergy alveolitis and asthma have been reported in woodworkers who we...

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungal species that commonly have a toxic effect on human and animal health. Different foodstuff can be contaminated and are considered the major source of human exposure to mycotoxins, but occupationa...

Organic dust and related microbial exposures are the main inducers of several respiratory symptoms. Occupational exposure to organic dust is very common and has been reported in diverse settings. In vitro tests using relevant cell cultures can be ver...

Fungi are an important part of the atmospheric ecosystem yet an underexplored group. Airborne pathogenic fungi are the root cause of hypersensitive and allergenic states highly prevalent in Kuwait. Frequent dust storms in the region carry them furthe...

Respiratory abnormalities among workers at coffee roasting and packaging facilities have already been reported; however, little is known about microbiological contamination inside coffee production facilities. This study intends to assess the microbi...

Heritage buildings face risks related to the degradation of exhibited or stored artefacts, up to their destruction over time, as well as the health of workers and visitors. The main causes are microclimatic parameters (temperature, humidity, brightne...

This study reports the search of available data published regarding microbial occupational exposure assessment in poultries, following the PRISMA methodology. Air collection through filtration was the most frequently used. The most commonly used pass...

Problems in the degradation and biodegradation of cultural heritage objects exposed or stored in public buildings and museums and of construction materials are caused (between others) by the activity of microorganisms. Biodeterioration can be observe...

According to many national legislations, biological agents represent an occupational hazard that must be managed in order to ensure safety at workplace. Bioaerosols have been associated to many pathological conditions but, despite many efforts, preci...

Sidewalk cleaning operations are essential to maintaining a clean and safe urban environment. Despite their vital role, these activities, particularly the blowing of road dust, can lead to the resuspension of road dust and associated pollutants, whic...

The utilization of biomass for power generation has become more prevalent globally. To survey the status of evidence concerning resulting health impacts and to depict potential research needs, a scoping-review was conducted. Biomass life cycle phases...

Mycotoxins, toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi, present significant health risks through contaminated food and feed. Despite broad documentation of their general impacts, emerging research highlights the requirement of addressing both sex-...

The exposure to biocontaminants in animal facilities represents a risk for developing infectious, allergic and toxic diseases. The aim of this study was to determine what factors could be associated with a high level of exposure to biological agents...

Airborne organic dust has rarely been subject to immunotoxicological analysis. A pilot study was undertaken to link exposure metrics (respirable crystalline silica (RCS), bacteria, fungi, endotoxins (END), peptidoglycans (PGN), (1 → 3)-β-D-...

Several studies reported adverse respiratory health effects in workers exposed to ambient contaminants in bakeries. The aim of this study was to examine worker exposure to fungi and mycotoxins in Portuguese bakeries in order to develop new policies i...

Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic heavy metal that causes significant risks to human health and the environment. This study explores the sources and routes of mercury exposure to humans, its toxicological effects, and the various methods of phytoremedia...

Background: Aspergillus section Fumigati is one of the Aspergillus sections more frequently related to respiratory symptoms and by other health outcomes. This study aimed to characterize Aspergillus section Fumigati distribution in eleven firefighter...

Bioaerosol is a threat at workplaces, therefore the selection and safe use of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) is important in preventive activities. The aim of the study was to assess the survival of microorganisms on materials used for FFRs c...

Fungal contamination in indoor environments has been associated with adverse health effects for the inhabitants. Remediation of fungal contamination requires removal of the fungi present and modifying the indoor environment to become less favourable...

The increasing demand for renewable energy production entails the development of novel green technologies, among them the use of biomass for energy generation. Industrial processes raise new issues regarding emerging risks for the health of people wo...

Fungal aerosols are critical yet understudied bioaerosol components in enclosed poultry environments, particularly during winter when ventilation is restricted. This study investigated stage-specific variations in fungal aerosol concentration, size d...

Fungal bioaerosols play a critical ecological and health role in intensive poultry production systems. However, their dynamic characteristics and community succession patterns in confined cage environments during winter remain poorly understood. This...

Undoubtedly, diagnosing and managing infections is one of the most challenging issues for orofacial clinicians. As a result of the diversity of symptoms, complicated behavior, and sometimes confusing nature of these conditions, it has become increasi...

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is strongly associated with animal health and wellbeing. To identify possible problems of the indoor environment of macaques (Macaca spp.), we assessed the IAQ. The temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and concentratio...

Microorganisms colonizing modern water-based metalworking fluids (MWFs) have been implicated in various occupational respiratory health hazards to machinists. An understanding of the exposure risks from specific microbial groups/genera/species (patho...

Waste-Sorting Plant (WSP) workers are exposed to bioaerosols containing a large variety of bacterial and fungal species, posing a critical health risk that needs to be assessed and mitigated. The present study aimed to evaluate the indoor air quality...

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common environmental toxin that is secreted by fusarium fungi that frequently contaminates feedstuff and food. While the detrimental effects of DON on human and animal reproductive systems have been well recognized, the unde...

Environmental microbiology provides essential tools for understanding and managing biological risks in sustainable agricultural systems. Organic farming, which prioritises closed nutrient cycles, soil biological activity and reduced reliance on synth...