Measurements of airborne aflatoxins during the handling of 1979 contaminated corn.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burg WR ; Saltzman BE ; Shotwell OL
• Description:
  The possibility that the high field levels of aflatoxin (1402682) on grain crops and high dust levels will be a hazard to farmers and grain handlers during harvesting and subsequent handling of the contaminated materials was investigated. Airborne dust samples were collected in and about combines harvesting corn at three farms in Georgia and one in Michigan as well as near trucks being loaded or unloaded with corn at a grain elevator in Georgia. Bulk corn or settled dust samples were also taken. Dust concentrations measured inside the cab of a combine with the doors closed indicated dust levels of 4.02, 5.12, and 2.97mg/m3. The outside dust concentration was 14.0mg/m3. Samples taken showed large variability in aflatoxin levels. The average of the aflatoxin levels in all farm samples collected in Georgia was 42.7 parts per billion (ppb). The average of the aflatoxin concentrations in dust samples taken at the grain elevator was 172.8ppb. Settled dust samples collected at the elevator contained aflatoxins in levels averaging 222ppb. An airborne dust sample taken at a continuously upwind sampling site from the elevator had no detectable aflatoxin levels. Samples from Michigan did not have aflatoxin contamination, perhaps because the lower ambient temperature was not favorable to fungal growth. The authors caution that farmers, truckers, and grain handlers in the south are apparently frequently exposed to aflatoxin contaminated dust and grain. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Content Notes:
  in NTRL, no pdf
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Air Pollutants, Occupational Dust Fungi Mycoses Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  NIOSH-Grant; Grain-elevator-workers; Grain-elevators; Airborne-dusts; Plant-dusts; Truck-drivers; Agricultural-workers; Fungi; Dust-inhalation; Mycotoxins
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Michigan ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-20
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00181270
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB88247523
• Citation:
  University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1982 Jan; :1-20
• Contact Point Address:
  Environmental Health Kettering Laboratory 3223 Eden Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45267
• CAS Registry Number:
  Aflatoxins (CAS RN 1402-68-2)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1982
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  19790301
• Source Full Name:
  University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
• End Date:
  19850228
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/246130/cdc_246130_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]