M. Reiman et J. Uitti, Exposure to microbes, endotoxins and total dust in cigarette and cigar manufacturing: an evaluation of health hazards, ANN OCCUP H, 44(6), 2000, pp. 467-473
The concentrations of airborne microbes, endotoxins and total dust mere mea
sured in one cigar and two cigarette factories in order to evaluate the ris
k of respiratory symptoms. The role of humidifiers as a source of microbes
was investigated, Air samples for the analyses mere collected near workers'
breathing zones during different phases of production. cram-negative bacte
ria, mesophilic fungi, thermotolerant fungi and thermophilic actinomycetes,
but not Aspergillus glaucus fungi, were found in higher concentrations in
the cigar factory than in the cigarette factories. High microbe concentrati
ons (10(4)-10(5) cfu m(-3)) occurred throughout the production Line in the
cigar factory. The highest dust and endotoxin concentrations mere found in
the wick-making department in the cigar factory (3.3 mg dust per m(3) and 3
8 ng endotoxin per m(3)) and during the weighing or handling of raw tobacco
in the cigarette factories (4.5 mg dust per m(3) and 106 ng endotoxin per
m(3)), The spray humidifiers in the cigar factory mere a more important sou
rce of microbes than was ram tobacco. In the cigarette factories, steam hum
idifiers were used; the humidified air was free of microbes, The microbe co
ncentrations in the tobacco factories were lower than in environments known
to have caused allergic alveolitis. (C) 2000 British Occupational Hygiene
Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.