Evaluation of working conditions of workers engaged in tending horses
Journal Title: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine - Year 2014, Vol 21, Issue 4
Abstract
[b]introduction[/b]. A growing interest in the horse business has resulted in the increased engagement of many people in this area, and the health problems occurring among workers create the need to search for prophylactic measures. [b]objective[/b]. The objective of the study was evaluation of the level of exposure to air pollution in a stable, and estimation of the degree of work load among workers engaged in tending horses. [b]material and methods[/b]. The study was conducted twice, during the winter season, in a stable maintaining race horses, and in a social room. In order to evaluate workers’ exposure, air samples were collected by the aspiration method. After the incubation of material, the total number of bacteria and fungi in the air was determined, as well as the number of aerobic mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria, expressed as the number of colony forming units per cubic meter of air (CFU/m[sup]3[/sup]). The measurement of total dust concentration in the air was also performed, simultaneously with the measurement of microclimatic parameters. The study of work load also covered the measurement of energy expenditure, evaluation of static physical load, and monotony of movements performed. [b]conclusions[/b]. The stable may be considered as a workplace with considerable risk of the occurrence of unfavourable health effects.
Authors and Affiliations
Bożena Nowakowicz-Dębek, Halina Pawlak, Łukasz Wlazło, Izabela Kuna-Broniowska, Hanna Bis-Wencel, Agnieszka Buczaj, Piotr Maksym
Wpływ przezskórnej terapii hormonalnej na hemostazę płytkową kobiet menopauzalnych
Wstęp: Terapia hormonalna okresu menopauzy (HT) mimo niezaprzeczalnie pozytywnego wpływu na jakość życia kobiet menopauzalnych, ma również minusy w postaci działań ubocznych, do których zalicza się m.in. powikłania zakrz...
Effects of blood lead and cadmium levels on the functioning of children with behaviour disorders in the family environment
Introduction and objective: The developing brain of a child is extremely prone to damage resulting from exposure to harmful environmental factors, e.g. heavy metals. Intoxication of children’s organisms with lead and cad...
Postpartum adiponectin changes in women with gestational diabetes
[b]introduction and objective[/b]. Current literature provides contradictory information on the role of adiponectin (AdipoQ) in the course of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the changes after delivery. The aim of...
Abundance of questing ticks and molecular evidence for pathogens in ticks in three parks of Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy
Introduction and objective. Infectious and parasitic diseases transmitted by ticks, such as Lyme diseases, granulocytic anaplasmosis and piroplasmosis, have been frequently reported in Europe, with increasing attention t...
Seroprevalence of Q fever, brucellosis and leptospirosis in farmers and agricultural workers in Bari, Southern Italy.
To establish the seroprevalence of antibodies to C. burnetii, Leptospira and Brucella in subjects at risk of exposure, 128 workers exposed to farm animals and 280 healthy blood donors were studied. Antibodies to C. burne...