title: [Occupational protection in biological waste treatment plants from the occupational medicine viewpoint].
abstract: Composting of biogenous waste matter constitutes an important segment in the Federal Republic of Germany's developing waste and recycling management. The processes used in compost production entail exposure to bio-aerosols, gases, dust, microorganisms and their toxins, additionally noise, fluctuating climatic conditions and various accident dangers. A study carried out was task with elaborating a specific profile of strains on compost workers in comparison with a control group. 42 composting plants were visited in 1996 and 1997. In the plants, spread out over seven federal states, 184 compost workers participated in 1996 and 178 in 1997. The control group comprised 66 (1996) and 63 (1997) employees of a senior state authority with office and laboratory jobs. About 400 mainly humanly relevant air measurements for meso-phile/thermo-phile actinomycetins or mould fungi provided emissions data for the purpose of estimating biological risks. Jeopardy analysis of jobs for chemical and physical jeopardy factors was based on the checklist method supported by GC-MS screening as well as measurements of noise level, light density and dust concentrations. On-site medical examination of all 491 employees comprised detailed industrial-medical anamnesis, internistic-clinical physical examination, recording of static-dynamic pulmonary function parameters as well as haematological-immuno-serological screening. From the results, it can be concluded that ailments of the respiratory tract and the lungs as well as chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and exogenous allergic alveolitis are not found with significantly greater frequency in compost workers than they were in the control group. The same is likewise true for allergies, diseases of the locomotor system and the skin. ODTS did not occur. During the study period, there was one case of occupational disease in a compost worker with an hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus. Efforts are necessary for a better filter technique and the reduction of noise and carbon dioxide hazards.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schappler-Scheele
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D017744:Medical Waste Disposal