Health effects of exposure to thyme dust in a group of thyme growing farmers.
Medical examinations were performed in a group of 47 thyme farmers from eastern Poland while threshing thyme (Thymus vulgaris). As a reference group 63 urban dwellers were examined not exposed to organic dusts. The examinations included an interview concerning the occurrence of respiratory disorders and work-related symptoms, physical examination, lung function tests, skin prick tests with four microbial allergens and agar-gel precipitation tests with 12 antigens. 63.8% of thyme handling farmers reported occurrence of work-related symptoms while threshing thyme. The most common complaints were: blocking of the nose (reported by 18 farmers--38.3%), dry cough (14 persons--29.8%) and general weakness (13 persons--27.7%). The mean spirometric values in the farmers group were within a normal range and did not show a significant post-work decline. The farmers showed positive skin reactions to microbial antigens in the range of 4.3-14.9%, and a frequency of positive precipitin reactions 0-56.5%. The reference group responded to most allergens with a significantly lower frequency of positive results compared to the examined group. In conclusion, thyme farmers engaged in threshing this herb represent a group of elevated professional risk because of high incidence of work-related symptoms and common occurrence of positive skin and precipitin reactions to bacterial and fungal allergens associated with organic dust.
Department of Occupational Biohazards, Institute of Rural Medicine, Lublin, Poland.
Marcin
M
Golec
Czesława
C
Skórska
Barbara
B
Mackiewicz
Jacek
J
Dutkiewicz
D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D004391:Dust; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011044:Poland; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D012882:Skin Tests; D013147:Spirometry; D046930:Thymus Plant / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D004391:Dust