RESEARCH PAPER
Prevalence of and relationship between rhinoconjunctivitis and lower airway diseases in compost workers with current or former exposure to organic dust
1
Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance (IPA), Institute of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2014;21(4):705–711
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
introduction and objective:
The relationship between allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma is well characterized. However, it remains unknown whether an association exists between symptoms of upper and lower airway diseases and occupational bioaerosol exposure beyond the scope of allergy.
Material and Methods:
The current cross-sectional study focuses on 190 current and 59 former compost workers exposed to bioaerosols. Work-related symptoms indicative of conjunctivitis, rhinitis and lower airway irritation were assessed and compared with 38 non-exposed control subjects. Allergic asthma was diagnosed using a calculated score, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was spirometrically determined.
Results:
12 current, 8 former and 5 non-exposed subjects were diagnosed with allergic asthma and excluded from further analysis. Multivariate logistic regression models suggested that cough and chronic bronchitis in current compost workers were associated with eye irritation (OR 2.75 (0.93–8.07); OR 7.22 (1.12–46.5)). Chronic bronchitis in former workers was strongly associated with work-related eye irritation (OR 38.6 (1.33- >1000) and nose irritation (OR 25.0 (1.21–513)).
Conclusions:
After excluding allergic asthmatics, there was no evidence that eye or nose irritation was due to an underlying atopic disease, but rather to non-allergic mucous membrane irritation syndrome. Therefore, the higher incidence of chronic bronchitis in former compost workers may reflect a chronic irritative process triggered by exposure to bioaerosols.
The relationship between allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma is well characterized. However, it remains unknown whether an association exists between symptoms of upper and lower airway diseases and occupational bioaerosol exposure beyond the scope of allergy.
Material and Methods:
The current cross-sectional study focuses on 190 current and 59 former compost workers exposed to bioaerosols. Work-related symptoms indicative of conjunctivitis, rhinitis and lower airway irritation were assessed and compared with 38 non-exposed control subjects. Allergic asthma was diagnosed using a calculated score, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was spirometrically determined.
Results:
12 current, 8 former and 5 non-exposed subjects were diagnosed with allergic asthma and excluded from further analysis. Multivariate logistic regression models suggested that cough and chronic bronchitis in current compost workers were associated with eye irritation (OR 2.75 (0.93–8.07); OR 7.22 (1.12–46.5)). Chronic bronchitis in former workers was strongly associated with work-related eye irritation (OR 38.6 (1.33- >1000) and nose irritation (OR 25.0 (1.21–513)).
Conclusions:
After excluding allergic asthmatics, there was no evidence that eye or nose irritation was due to an underlying atopic disease, but rather to non-allergic mucous membrane irritation syndrome. Therefore, the higher incidence of chronic bronchitis in former compost workers may reflect a chronic irritative process triggered by exposure to bioaerosols.
REFERENCES (34)
1.
Domingo JL, Nadal M. Domestic waste composting facilities: a review of human health risks. Environ Int. 2009; 35(2): 382–389.
2.
Schlosser O, Huyard A, Cartnick K, Yañez A, Catalán V, Quang ZD. Bioaerosol in composting facilities: occupational health risk assessment. Water Environ Res. 2009; 81(9): 866–877.
3.
Swan JRM, Kelsey A, Crook B, Gilbert EJ. Occupational and Environmental Exposure to Bioaerosols from Composts and Potential Health Effects: A Critical Review of Published Data, Research report 130, Health and Safety Executive, Norwich, United Kingdom, 2003 http://www.hse.gov.uk/research... (access: 2014.03.13).
4.
Searl A. Exposure-response relationships for bioaerosol emissions from waste treatment processes, Defra Project: WR0606. Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2008 http://www.iom-world.org/news-... 2010/health-effectsassociated-with-bioaerosols-from-waste-handling-processes/ (access: 2014.03.13).
5.
Bru-Adan V, Wéry N, Moletta-Denat M, Boiron P, Delgènes JP, Godon JJ. Diversity of bacteria and fungi in aerosols during screening in a green waste composting plant. Curr Microbiol. 2009; 59(3): 326–335.
6.
Eduard W, Heederik D, Duchaine C, Green BJ. Bioaerosol exposure assessment in the workplace: the past, present and recent advances. J Environ Monit. 2012; 14(2): 334–339.
7.
Bünger J, Schappler-Scheele B, Hilgers R, Hallier E. A 5-year follow-up study on respiratory disorders and lung function in workers exposed to organic dust from composting plants. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2007; 80(4): 306–312.
8.
van Kampen V, Deckert A, Hoffmeyer F, Taeger D, Brinkmann E, Brüning T, et al. Symptoms, spirometry, and serum antibody concentrations among compost workers exposed to organic dust. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2012; 75(8–10): 492–500.
9.
Rylander R. Organic dust induced pulmonary disease – the role of mould derived beta-glucan. Ann Agric Environ Med 2010; 17(1): 9–13.
10.
Liebers V, van Kampen V, Bünger J, Düser M, Stubel H, Brüning T, et al. Assessment of airborne exposure to endotoxin and pyrogenic active dust using electrostatic dustfall collectors (EDCs). J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2012; 75(8–10): 501–507.
11.
Eduard W, Douwes J, Mehl R, Heederik D, Melbostad E. Short term exposure to airborne microbial agents during farm work: exposureresponse relations with eye and respiratory symptoms. Occup Environ Med. 2001; 58(2): 113–118.
12.
Guerra S. Overlap of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2005; 11(1): 7–13.
13.
Xu X, Iba MM, Weisel CP. Simultaneous and sensitive measurement of anabasine, nicotine, and nicotine metabolites in human urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Clin Chem. 2004; 50(12): 2323–2330.
14.
Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), “Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD,” 2011, available from: http://www.goldcopd.org/ (access: 2014.03.13).
15.
American Thoracic Society (ATS). Standardization of spirometry (1994 update). Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1995; 152(3): 1107–1136.
16.
Hansen JE, Sun XG, Wasserman K. Spirometric criteria for airway obstruction: Use percentage of FEV1 /FVC ratio below the fifth percentile, not < 70%. Chest. 2007; 131(2): 349–355.
17.
Brändli O, Schindler C, Leuenberger PH, Baur X, Degens P, Künzli N, et al. Re-estimated equations for 5th percentiles of lung function variables. Thorax. 2000; 55(2): 173–174.
18.
Linden CC, Misiak RT, Wegienka G, Havstad S, Ownby DR, Johnson CC, et al. Analysis of allergen specific IgE cut points to cat and dog in the Childhood Allergy Study. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011; 106(2): 153–158.
19.
Janson C, Anto J, Burney P, Chinn S, de Marco R, Heinrich J, et al. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey: what are the main results so far? European Community Respiratory Health Survey II. Eur Respir J. 2001; 18(3): 598–611.
20.
Malinovschi A, Backer V, Harving H, Porsbjerg C. The value of exhaled nitric oxide to identify asthma in smoking patients with asthma-like symptoms. Respir Med. 2012; 106(6): 794–801.
21.
Quirce S, Lemière C, de Blay F, del Pozo V, Gerth Van Wijk R, Maestrelli P, et al. Noninvasive methods for assessment of airway inflammation in occupational settings. Allergy. 2010; 65(4): 445–458.
22.
Lindberg A, Jonsson AC, Rönmark E, Lundgren R, Larsson LG, Lundbäck B. Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to BTS, ERS, GOLD and ATS criteria in relation to doctor’s diagnosis, symptoms, age, gender, and smoking habits. Respiration. 2005; 72(5): 471–479.
23.
Eduard W, Pearce N, Douwes J. Chronic bronchitis, COPD, and lung function in farmers: the role of biological agents. Chest. 2009; 136(3): 716–725.
24.
de Marco R, Accordini S, Marcon A, Cerveri I, Antó JM, Gislason T, et al.; European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). Risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a European cohort of young adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011; 183(7): 891–897.
25.
Boulay ME, Boulet LP. The relationships between atopy, rhinitis and asthma: pathophysiological considerations. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003; 3(1): 51–55.
26.
Sunyer J, Antó JM, Kogevinas M, Soriano JB, Tobias A, Muñoz A. Smoking and bronchial responsiveness in nonatopic and atopic young adults. Spanish Group of the European Study of Asthma. Thorax. 1997; 52(3): 235–238.
27.
Forey BA, Thornton AJ, Lee PN. Systematic review with meta-analysis of the epidemiological evidence relating smoking to COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. BMC Pulm Med. 2011; 14(11): 36. doi: 10.1186/1471–2466–11–36.
28.
Broding HC, Frank P, Hoffmeyer F, Bünger J. Course of occupational asthma depending on the duration of workplace exposure to allergens – a retrospective cohort study in bakers and farmers. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2011; 18(1): 35–40.
29.
Rycroft CE, Heyes A, Lanza L, Becker K. Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a literature review. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2012; 7: 457–494.
30.
Sunyer J, Basagaña X, Roca J, Urrutia I, Jaen A, Antó JM, et al. Relations between respiratory symptoms and spirometric values in young adults: the European community respiratory health study. Respir Med. 2004; 98(10): 1025–1033.
31.
de Oca MM, Halbert RJ, Lopez MV, Perez-Padilla R, Tálamo C, Moreno D, et al. The chronic bronchitis phenotype in subjects with and without COPD: the PLATINO study. Eur Respir J. 2012; 40(1): 28–36.
32.
Lamprecht B, McBurnie MA, Vollmer WM, Gudmundsson G, Welte T, Nizankowska-Mogilnicka E, et al.; BOLD Collaborative Research Group. COPD in never smokers: results from the population-based burden of obstructive lung disease study. Chest. 2011;139(4): 752–763.
33.
Harkema JR, Hotchkiss JA. Ozone- and endotoxin-induced mucous cell metaplasias in rat airway epithelium: novel animal models to study toxicant-induced epithelial transformation in airways. Toxicol Lett. 1993; 68(1–2): 251–263.
34.
Bünger J, Antlauf-Lammers M, Schulz TG, Westphal GA, Müller MM, Ruhnau P, et al. Health complaints and immunological markers of exposure to bioaerosols among biowaste collectors and compost workers. Occup Environ Med. 2000; 57(7): 458–464.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
Improvement of visual identification of the journal - task financed under the agreement No. 618/P-DUN/2019 by the Minister of Science and Higher Education allocated to the activities of disseminating science.
Generation of the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) - task financed under the agreement No. 618/P-DUN/2019 by the Minister of Science and Higher
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.