Microbiology of the fiber and airborne dust from washed cotton.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fischer JJ ; Jacobs RR ; Millner PD ; Olenchock, Stephen A. ; Perkins HH Jr.
• Description:
  Samples of unwashed and washed lints and of airborne dusts were collected when cottons washed on four washing system were carded. These samples were evaluated for different microbiological characteristics including total bacteria, gram negative bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and endotoxins. The findings showed that water washing of raw cottons before carding was an effective method for reducing the endotoxin content in the lint and subsequently card generated airborne dust, regardless of the source or condition of the cotton. Variations in the washing treatments affected the efficacy of endotoxin removal. Endotoxin analyses offered a simple, reproducible, and reliable method for monitoring the cleanliness of the airborne cotton dust. For all systems tested, washing substantially reduced the levels of gram negative bacteria (GNB) and endotoxin on the washed fiber. GNB counts and endotoxin were generally reduced by more than 90% from unwashed controls. The reductions in contamination were due to both the washing treatments and the high temperatures needed for drying the fiber. In general, the more rigorous the washing treatment, the greater the reduction in contamination of the fiber. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Bacteria Cotton Fiber Dust Gossypium Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Textile Industry
• Keywords:
  NIOSH-Author; Cotton-dust; Textiles-industry; Dust-exposure; Airborne-dusts; Toxins; Plant-dusts; Bacterial-dusts; Dust-control; Cotton-fibers
• Publisher:
  Southern Regional Research Center
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Louisiana ; OSHA Region 6
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  52-74
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00203902
• Citation:
  NIOSH 1986 Oct; :52-74
• Editor(s):
  Wakelyn PJ; Jacobs RR; Kirk IW
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1987
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Washed Cotton: Washing Techniques, Processing Characteristics, and Health Effects
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/243085/cdc_243085_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]