Top

BMC Public Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2007 | Research article

Exposure of bakery and pastry apprentices to airborne flour dust using PM_2.5 and PM₁₀personal samplers

Authors: Estelle Mounier-Geyssant, Jean-François Barthélemy, Lory Mouchot, Christophe Paris, Denis Zmirou-Navier

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2007

Abstract

Background

This study describes exposure levels of bakery and pastry apprentices to flour dust, a known risk factor of occupational asthma.

Methods

Questionnaires on work activity were completed by 286 students. Among them, 34 performed a series of two personal exposure measurements using a PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ personal sampler during a complete work shift, one during a cold ("winter") period, and the other during a hot ("summer") period.

Results

Bakery apprentices experience greater average PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ exposures than pastry apprentices (p < 0.006). Exposure values for both particulate fractions are greater in winter (average PM₁₀ values among bakers = 1.10 mg.m^-3 [standard deviation: 0.83]) than in summer (0.63 mg.m^-3 [0.36]). While complying with current European occupational limit values, these exposures exceed the ACGIH recommendations set to prevent sensitization to flour dust (0.5 mg.m^-3). Over half the facilities had no ventilation system.

Conclusion

Young bakery apprentices incur substantial exposure to known airways allergens, a situation that might elicit early induction of airways inflammation.

Musk AW, Venables KM, Crook B, Nunn AJ, Hawkins R, Crook GD, Graneek BJ, Tee RD, Farrer N, Johnson DA, Gordon DJ, Darbyshire JH, Newman Taylor AJ: Respiratory symptoms, lung function, and sensitisation to flour in a British bakery. Br J Ind Med. 1989, 46: 636-642.PubMedPubMedCentral

Jauhiainen A, Louhelainen K, Linnainmaa M: Exposure to Dust and alpha-Amylase in Bakeries. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 1993, 8: 721-725.CrossRef

Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Sandifort CP, Lowson D, Tee RD, Venables KM, Mac Donald JC, Newman Taylor AJ: Dust and flour aeroallergen exposure in flours mills and bakeries. Occup Environ Med. 1994, 51: 584-588.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Hartmann AL, Wüthrich B, Deflorin-Stolz R, Helfenstein U, Hewitt R, Guérin B: [Atopie-Screening: Prick-Multitest, Gesamt-IgE oder RAST?]. Schweiz med Wschr. 1985, 115: 466-475.PubMed

Hartmann AL: Berufsallergien bei Bäckern: Epidemiologie; Diagnose, Therapie und Prophylaxe; Versicherungsrecht. 1986, München-Deisenhofen, Germany: Dustri-Verlag, Dr. karl Feistle

Lagier F, Cartier A, Malo JL: Statistiques médico-légales sur l'asthme professionnel au Québec de 1986 à 1988. Rev Mal Res. 1990, 7: 337-341.

Cullinan P, Lowson D, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Gordon S, Tee RD, Venables KM, McDonald JC, Newman Taylor AJ: Work-related symptoms, sensitisation, and estimated exposure in workers not previously exposed to flour. Occup Environ Med. 1994, 51: 579-583.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Sandifort CP, Lowson D, Tee RD, Venables KM, Mac Donald JC, Newman Taylor AJ: Peak exposure concentrations of Dust and flour aeroallergen exposure in flours mills and bakeries. Ann Occup Hyg. 1995, 39 (2): 193-201.CrossRefPubMed

Houba R, Heederik DJJ, Doekes G, Van Run PE: Exposure-Sensitization Relationship for α-amylase Allergens in the Baking Industry. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1996, 154: 130-136.CrossRefPubMed

10.

Houba R, Van Run P, Heederik D, Doekes G: Wheat antigen exposure assessment for epidemiological studies in bakeries using personal dust sampling and inhibition ELISA. Clin Exp Allergy. 1996, 26: 154-163. 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1996.tb00074.x.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Smith TA, Wastell Smith P: Respiratory symptoms and sensitizition in bread and cake bakers. Occup Med. 1998, 48 (5): 321-328. 10.1093/occmed/48.5.321.CrossRef

12.

Nordman H: Occupational asthma--time for prevention. Scand J Work Environ Health. 1994, 20 (Spec No): 108-115.PubMed

13.

Houba R, Doekes G, Heederik D: Occupational Respiratory Allergy in Bakery Workers: A Review of the Literature. Am J Ind Med. 1998, 34: 529-546. 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0274(199812)34:6<529::AID-AJIM1>3.0.CO;2-I.CrossRefPubMed

14.

Brisman J: Baker's Asthma. Occup Environ Med. 2002, 59: 498-502. 10.1136/oem.59.7.498.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

15.

Ameille J, Pauli G, Calastreng-Crinquand A, Vervloët D, Iwatsubo Y, Popin E, Bayeux-Dunglas MC, Kopferschmitt-Kubler MC: Reported incidence of occupational asthma in France, 1996–99: the ONAP programme. Occup Environ Med. 2003, 60: 136-141. 10.1136/oem.60.2.136.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

16.

Bulat P, Myny K, Braeckman L, Van Sprundel M, Kusters E, Doekes G, Possel K, Droste J, Vanhoorne M: Exposure to inhalable dust, wheat flour and alpha-amylase allergens in industrial and traditional bakeries. Ann Occup Hyg. 2004, 48 (1): 57-63. 10.1093/annhyg/meg075.CrossRefPubMed

17.

Elms J, Robinson E, Rahman S, Garrod A: Exposure to Flour Dust in UK Bakeries: Current Use of Control Measures. Ann Occup Hyg. 2005, 49 (1): 85-91.PubMed

18.

Herxheimer H: Skin sensitivity to flour in bakers' apprentices. Lancet. 1967, 1: 83-84. 10.1016/S0140-6736(67)92479-8.CrossRefPubMed

19.

Herxheimer H: The skin sensitivity to flour of baker's apprentices. A final report of a long term investigation. Acta Allergol. 1973, 28 (1): 42-49.CrossRefPubMed

20.

Walusiak J, Palczynski C, Wyszynska-Puzanska C, Mierzwa L, Pawlukiewicz M, Ruta U, Krakowiak A, Gorski P: Problems in diagnosing occupational allergy to flour: results of allergologic screening in apprentice bakers. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2000, 13 (1): 15-22.PubMed

21.

Walusiak J, Palczynski C, Hanke W, Gorski P, Wyszynska-Puzynska C, Mierzwa L, Pawlukiewicz M, Wittczak T, Krakowiak A, Ruta U, Wagrowska-Koski E: [The risk factors of occupational hypersensitivity in apprentice bakers]. Med Pr. 2002, 53 (3): 209-218.PubMed

22.

Walusiak J, Palczynski C, Hanke W, Wittczak T, Krakowiak A, Gorski P: The risk factors of occupational hypersensitivity in apprentice bakers – the predictive value of atopy markers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2002, S117-S121. 10.1007/s00420-002-0358-9. Suppl 75

23.

Gautrin D, Ghezzo H, Malo JL: Rhinoconjunctivitis, bronchial responsiveness, and atopy as determinants for incident non-work-related asthma symptoms in apprentices exposed to high-molecular-weight allergens. Allergy. 2003, 58 (7): 608-615. 10.1034/j.1398-9995.2003.00197.x.CrossRefPubMed

24.

Walusiak J, Hanke W, Gorski P, Palczynski C: Respiratory allergy in apprentice bakers: do occupational allergies follow the allergic march?. Allergy. 2004, 59 (4): 442-450. 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2003.00418.x.CrossRefPubMed

25.

Demokritou P, Kavouras IG, Ferguson ST, Koutrakis P: Developpement and laboratory performance evaluation of a personal multipollutant sampler for simultaneous measurements of particulate and gaseaous pollutants. Aerosol Sci Technol. 2001, 35: 741-752. 10.1080/02786820152546789.CrossRef

26.

Burdorf A, Lillienberg L, Brisman J: Characterization of exposure to inhalable flour dust in Swedish bakeries. Ann Occup Hyg. 1994, 38 (1): 67-78. 10.1093/annhyg/38.1.67.CrossRefPubMed

27.

Lillienberg L, Brisman J: Flour dust in bakeries: A comparison between methods. Ann Occup Hyg. 1994, 38 (Suppl 1): 571-575.CrossRef

28.

Burstyn I, Teschke K, Kennnedy SM: Exposure levels and determinants of inhalable dust exposure in bakeries. Ann Occup Hyg. 1997, 41 (6): 609-624.CrossRefPubMed

29.

Talini D, Benvenuti A, Carrara M, Vaghetti E, Bianchi Martini L, Paggiaro PL: Diagnosis of flour-induced occupational asthma in a cross-sectional study. Respiratory Medicine. 2002, 96: 236-243. 10.1053/rmed.2001.1259.CrossRefPubMed

30.

Elms J, Beckett P, Griffin P, Evans P, Sams C, Roff M, Curran AD: Job categories and their effect on exposure to fungal alpha-amylase and inhalable dust in the U.K. baking industry. AIHA J (Fairfax, VA). 2003, 64 (4): 467-471.CrossRef

31.

Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité INRS: Valeurs limites d'exposition professionnelle aux agents chimiques en France. ND 2098. Note Documentaire. Mise à jour février 2005. 2005, France

32.

Kolopp-Sarda MN, Massin N, Gobert B, Wild P, Moulin JJ, Bene MC, Faure GC: Humoral immune responses of workers occupationally exposed to wheat flour. Am J Ind Med. 1994, 26 (5): 671-679. 10.1002/ajim.4700260509.CrossRefPubMed

33.

Brisman J, Järvholm B, Lillienberg L: Exposure-response relations for self reported asthma and rhinitis in bakers. Occup Environ Med. 2000, 57 (5): 335-340. 10.1136/oem.57.5.335.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

34.

Cullinan P, Cook A, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Sandiford C, Tee RD, Venables KM, McDonald JC, Newman Taylor AJ: Allergen and dust exposure as determinants of work-related symptoms and sensitization in a cohort of flour-exposed workers; a case-control analysis. Ann Occup Hyg. 2001, 45 (2): 97-103.PubMed

35.

Heederik D, Houba R: An exploratory quantitative risk assessment for high molecular weight sensitizers: wheat flour. Ann Occup Hyg. 2001, 45 (3): 175-185.CrossRefPubMed

36.

Health and Safety Executive. Occupational exposure limits. 2002, Caerphilly

37.

Karpinski EA: Exposure to Inhalable Flour Dust in Canadian Flour Mills. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 2003, 18: 1022-1030.CrossRefPubMed

38.

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Guide to occupational exposure values. 2002, Cincinnati

The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/311/prepub

Title: Exposure of bakery and pastry apprentices to airborne flour dust using PM2.5 and PM10personal samplers
Authors: Estelle Mounier-Geyssant
Jean-François Barthélemy
Lory Mouchot
Christophe Paris
Denis Zmirou-Navier
Publication date: 01-12-2007
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2007
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-7-311

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Exposure of bakery and pastry apprentices to airborne flour dust using PM_2.5 and PM₁₀personal samplers

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2007

Swedish social insurance officers' experiences of difficulties in assessing applications for disability pensions – an interview study

Educational disparities in health behaviors among patients with diabetes: the Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) Study

Gender distribution of adult patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Southern Africa: a systematic review

Social inequalities in injury occurrence and in disability retirement attributable to injuries: a 5 year follow-up study of a 2.1 million gainfully employed people

Quality of life of Lithuanian women with early stage breast cancer

Folic acid fortification and public health: Report on threshold doses above which unmetabolised folic acid appear in serum