Microbial contamination and immunologic reactivity of stored oats.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Marx JJ Jr. ; Olenchock, Stephen A. ; Parker, John E. ; Sorenson WG
• Description:
  An evaluation was conducted to describe the exposure to bacteria, fungi, and endotoxins as well as in-vitro and in-vivo immunologic studies related to the presence of specific antibodies and serum complement activation in farm workers who shoveled approximately 800 bushels of oats from a poorly ventilated storage bin. The evaluation was initiated after a cluster of cases of organic dust toxic syndrome had been reported from this facility. Both the bulk sample and the laboratory generated airborne dust contained gram negative bacterial endotoxins. The contamination of the bulk dust was 122.66 endotoxin units/milligram (EU/mg). The collected dust contained 325.71EU/mg. Calculation of the airborne concentration of endotoxins that was generated in the laboratory resulted in 12865.5 endotoxin units/cubic meter. Most workers reacted positively with Micropolyspora-faeni antigen, but is was not possible with either ELISA or counter immunoelectrophoresis to separate the ill from the workers who were not ill. The extract of bulk oats contained a substance that consumed functional human complement in a dose dependent fashion. The authors conclude that the stored oats provided a source of exposure to microbial antigens and immunoreactive materials. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Air Pollutants, Occupational Bacteria Dust Food-Processing Industry Food Contamination Food Handling Food Industry Immune System Mycoses Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety

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• Keywords:
  Immunology; Food-processing-industry; Grain-elevator-workers; Grain-dusts; Mycotoxins; Food-contaminants; Food-handlers; Plant-dusts; Bacterial-dusts; Airborne-dusts; Immunology
• ISBN:
  9780306436970
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  479-488
• Volume:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00204898
• Citation:
  Biodeterioration research 3: mycotoxins, biotoxins, wood decay, air quality, cultural properties, general biodeterioration, and degradation, proceedings of the third meeting of the Pan American Biodeterioration Society, August 3-6, 1989, Washington, D.C. Llewellyn GC, O'Rear CE, eds. New York: Plenum Press, 1991 Mar; 3:479-488
• Editor(s):
  Llewellyn GC; O'Rear CE
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1991
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Biodeterioration research 3: mycotoxins, biotoxins, wood decay, air quality, cultural properties, general biodeterioration, and degradation, proceedings of the third meeting of the Pan American Biodeterioration Society, August 3-6, 1989, Washington, D.C.
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/243104/cdc_243104_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]