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Introduction: Money is the most common item with which we have daily contact. Circulated banknotes and coins can become microbiologically contaminated and act as both a source and a means of spreading such pollutants. Material and methods: The study was carried out in three money sorting facilities in Poland. Bioaerosol samples were collected using a 6-stage Andersen impactor, and microorganisms deposited on tabletop surfaces were sampled using the swab method. Bacterial and fungal concentrations were calculated and all isolated species were taxonomically identified. Results: The study confirmed that means of payment are active sources of microbial emission in money sorting facilities. The bioaerosol concentrations did not exceed the threshold limit values proposed for this type of office premises. It confirms that ventilation systems in these facilities worked efficiently, protecting them from the migration of microbial contaminants present in both indoor and outdoor (atmospheric) background air. On the other hand, the average concentrations of bacteria and fungi on tabletop surfaces in banknote and coin sorting rooms were above the proposed purity levels for indoor surfaces and should be treated as microbiologically contaminated. Microbiota isolated from the air and surfaces were very diverse and among those strains were bacterial and fungal pathogens that can pose a health threat to exposed individuals. Conclusions: The results showed that employees in money sorting facilities were exposed to microorganisms that may contribute to the development of adverse health outcomes. To protect them, highly efficient hygienic measures should be introduced in this working environment, to prevent both unwanted pollution and subsequent secondary emission of microbial contaminants from sorted means of payment and tabletop surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Money is the most common item with which we have daily contact. Circulated banknotes and coins can become microbiologically contaminated and act as both a source and a means of spreading such pollutants. Materials and method. The study was carried out in three money sorting facilities in Poland. Bioaerosol samples were collected using a 6-stage Andersen impactor, and microorganisms deposited on tabletop surfaces were sampled using the swab method. Bacterial and fungal concentrations were calculated and all isolated species were taxonomically identified. Results. The study confirmed that means of payment are active sources of microbial emission in money sorting facilities. The bioaerosol concentrations did not exceed the threshold limit values proposed for this type of office premises. It confirms that ventilation systems in these facilities worked efficiently, protecting them from the migration of microbial contaminants present in both indoor and outdoor (atmospheric) background air. On the other hand, the average concentrations of bacteria and fungi on tabletop surfaces in banknote and coin sorting rooms were above the proposed purity levels for indoor surfaces and should be treated as microbiologically contaminated. Microbiota isolated from the air and surfaces were very diverse and among those strains were bacterial and fungal pathogens that can pose a health threat to exposed individuals. Conclusions. The results showed that employees in money sorting facilities were exposed to microorganisms that may contribute to the development of adverse health outcomes. To protect them, highly efficient hygienic measures should be introduced in this working environment, to prevent both unwanted pollution and subsequent secondary emission of microbial contaminants from sorted means of payment and tabletop surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:To assess the across-shift changes of cytokine concentrations in nasal lavage (NAL) samples were collected from workers exposed to bacterial cell wall components present in organic dust in three different occupational environments.Material and methods:The study was conducted in 38 employees including 10 workers from a municipal waste sorting plant (WSP), 20 from a sewage treatment plant (STP) and 8 from an office building (OB), who were established as a reference group, not exposed to organic dust. Interleukins 1β (IL-1β), 6 (IL-6), 8 (IL-8) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were examined in NAL before and after work shift on Wednesdays. Bioaerosol exposure was determined by personal measurements and analysed for organic dust, endotoxins (END) and peptidoglycans (PGN).Results:The analysis included the results for IL-8 only, because for the other cytokines their concentrations in 80% of cases were below the detection level. The most polluted were the workplaces in WSP with average concentrations of organic dust – 3.47 mg/m³, END – 96.31 ng/m³ and PGN – 571.88 ng/m³. The results of IL-8 showed a significant difference between the studied groups after the work shift (p=0.007). Among WSP workers concentrations of IL-8 increased also significantly (p=0.015) during the work shift. Multivariate analysis showed that organic dust and END were the factors that in the most distinct way (p<0.001) influenced changes of IL-8 levels in NAL.Conclusions:Each alteration in the composition of bioaerosols will probably determine the changes in the mechanisms responsible for both formation and modulation of inflammatory reactions in exposed workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Medycyna Pracy is the property of Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. Jerzego Nofera and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective. The aim of this study was to estimate the content of peptidoglycans in cutting fluids (CFs) and to assess the possibility of using them as a marker of bacterial contamination in this type of occupational environment. Materials and methods. A total of 11 samples of CFs were collected: 8 were taken from the working machine systems and 3 were unused CF samples. The peptidoglycans were determinated with the kinetic version of the Silkworm Larvae Plasma (SLP) test. Results. The average concentration of bacteria was 5.58×105 CFU/mL, and peptidoglycans - 28.2 ng/mL. The variability for peptidoglycans concentration was less pronounced than that for bacteria (GSD 6 and 13.3, respectively). Taking into consideration the National Research and Safety Institute (INRS - Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité) limit value the concentrations of bacteria and peptidoglycans, as well as the usage of the fluids, the analysis showed that peptidoglycans reflect the differences between the studied factors much more accurately than bacteria. The correlation analysis, however, showed that the levels of peptidoglycans in the examined CFs strongly correlated with the concentrations of viable bacteria (R2 = 0.50, p<0.05). Conclusions. The study confirmed that the CFs may contain immunologically active substances of bacterial origin even though they did not show any bacterial growth. Moreover, it showed that the concentrations of peptidoglycans in CFs precisely reflect the exposure to bacteria, and as a structural component of the cell wall can be treated as their marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]