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Microbial exposure during recycling of domestic waste : a cross-sectional study of composition and associations with inflammatory markers

Hansen, Karoline Kærgaard LU ; Rasmussen, Pil ; Schlünssen, Vivi ; Broberg, Karin LU orcid ; Østergaard, Kirsten ; Tranchant, Emma Enshelm ; Sigsgaard, Torben ; Kolstad, Henrik A. and Madsen, Anne Mette (2024) In Occupational and Environmental Medicine 81(11). p.580-587
Abstract

Objectives This study aims to investigate (1) the microbial community composition by work characteristics and (2) the association between microbial genera level and inflammatory markers among recycling workers. Methods In this cross-sectional study, inhalable dust was collected with personal samplers from 49 production (86 samples) and 10 administrative workers (15 samples). Four groups of micro-organisms were identified down to species-level (aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and fungi grown at 25°C and 37°C). Inflammatory markers were measured in serum collected at the end of the work shift. Microbial community composition was investigated using redundancy analysis and heatmaps. Associations between the most prevalent microbial genera... (More)

Objectives This study aims to investigate (1) the microbial community composition by work characteristics and (2) the association between microbial genera level and inflammatory markers among recycling workers. Methods In this cross-sectional study, inhalable dust was collected with personal samplers from 49 production (86 samples) and 10 administrative workers (15 samples). Four groups of micro-organisms were identified down to species-level (aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and fungi grown at 25°C and 37°C). Inflammatory markers were measured in serum collected at the end of the work shift. Microbial community composition was investigated using redundancy analysis and heatmaps. Associations between the most prevalent microbial genera and inflammatory markers were explored by mixed-effects regression. Results Community composition of all groups of micro-organisms except fungi (37°C) differed between production and administrative workers and by type of waste and season among the production workers. Overall, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Aspergillus and Penicillium were the most prevalent genera. CC16 concentrations increased with Penicillium genus level, C reactive protein and serum amyloid A with Staphylococcus, interleukin 2 (IL-2) and tumour necrosis factor with Bacillus, and IL-8 with Aspergillus. IL-1B decreased with Staphylococcus genus level. Remaining analyses showed no statistically significant associations between microbial genera level and inflammatory markers. Conclusions Recycling workers are exposed to different compositions of microbial species than administrative workers depending on the type of waste handled and season. Specific systemic inflammatory effects were suggested for a limited number of microbial genera that need to be corroborated by future studies.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Dust, Epidemiology, Fungi, Microbiology, Occupational Health
in
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
volume
81
issue
11
pages
8 pages
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:39557564
  • scopus:85214054729
ISSN
1351-0711
DOI
10.1136/oemed-2024-109628
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
98988683-a11d-49ac-9543-31a28917e70b
date added to LUP
2025-02-21 15:20:06
date last changed
2025-07-12 03:07:50
@article{98988683-a11d-49ac-9543-31a28917e70b,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives This study aims to investigate (1) the microbial community composition by work characteristics and (2) the association between microbial genera level and inflammatory markers among recycling workers. Methods In this cross-sectional study, inhalable dust was collected with personal samplers from 49 production (86 samples) and 10 administrative workers (15 samples). Four groups of micro-organisms were identified down to species-level (aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and fungi grown at 25°C and 37°C). Inflammatory markers were measured in serum collected at the end of the work shift. Microbial community composition was investigated using redundancy analysis and heatmaps. Associations between the most prevalent microbial genera and inflammatory markers were explored by mixed-effects regression. Results Community composition of all groups of micro-organisms except fungi (37°C) differed between production and administrative workers and by type of waste and season among the production workers. Overall, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Aspergillus and Penicillium were the most prevalent genera. CC16 concentrations increased with Penicillium genus level, C reactive protein and serum amyloid A with Staphylococcus, interleukin 2 (IL-2) and tumour necrosis factor with Bacillus, and IL-8 with Aspergillus. IL-1B decreased with Staphylococcus genus level. Remaining analyses showed no statistically significant associations between microbial genera level and inflammatory markers. Conclusions Recycling workers are exposed to different compositions of microbial species than administrative workers depending on the type of waste handled and season. Specific systemic inflammatory effects were suggested for a limited number of microbial genera that need to be corroborated by future studies.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hansen, Karoline Kærgaard and Rasmussen, Pil and Schlünssen, Vivi and Broberg, Karin and Østergaard, Kirsten and Tranchant, Emma Enshelm and Sigsgaard, Torben and Kolstad, Henrik A. and Madsen, Anne Mette}},
  issn         = {{1351-0711}},
  keywords     = {{Dust; Epidemiology; Fungi; Microbiology; Occupational Health}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{580--587}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Occupational and Environmental Medicine}},
  title        = {{Microbial exposure during recycling of domestic waste : a cross-sectional study of composition and associations with inflammatory markers}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2024-109628}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/oemed-2024-109628}},
  volume       = {{81}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}