我國養菇場及蔬菜園勞工之真菌生物氣膠暴露與健康影響

Objective: Workers of specific occupational settings, such as agricultural farms and composting facilities, may be exposed to high levels of fungal bioaerosol and result in increased respiratory symptoms and decreased lung function. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the characteristics and health effects of fungal bioaerosols in agricultural farms.
Methods: IOM samplers were used to collect airborne fungi in five agricultural farms, including 2 mushroom and 3 vegetable farms. We used a standardized questionnaire and spirometry to evaluate workers’ health conditions. Kruskal-Wallis Test was used to examine the distributions of fungal and environmental factors among different farms. Mixed Effects Models and Generalized Estimating Equations were used to evaluate the effect of personal bioaerosol exposure on workers’ health.
Results: The mean concentrations ranged from 5.3×103 to 3.0×105 CFU/m3 for total culturable fungi, and from 5.8×103 to 4.1×105 spores/m3 for total fungal spores. The concentrations of total fungal spores were significantly different among five farms (p value = 0.026) in personal samples, but not in area samples. For culturable fungi, the levels among five farms were not significantly different in both personal and area samples. Significant seasonal variations were observed for fungal spore levels but not for culturable fungi. The prevalence of work-related symptoms was very low in this study. However, decreased lung function measurements of the workers were associated with total fungi and several fungal taxa such as Ascospores, Nigrospora and Fusarium.
Conclusion: Workers’ exposure levels to fungal contaminants in agricultural farms were high. Mushroom farm workers’ exposed to higher fungal concentrations than vegetable farms workers. Our findings suggest that better ventilation and using proper personal protection equipment are needed to reduce occupational biohazards.