TY - JOUR
T1 - Microbial contamination in firefighter Headquarters’
T2 - a neglected occupational exposure scenario
AU - Viegas, Carla
AU - Gomes, Bianca
AU - Pimenta, Raquel
AU - Dias, Marta
AU - Cervantes, Renata
AU - Caetano, Liliana Aranha
AU - Carolino, Elisabete
AU - Twarużek, Magdalena
AU - Soszczyńska, Ewelina
AU - Kosicki, Robert
AU - Viegas, Susana
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa , for funding the Project “Occupational exposure of ambulance drivers to bioburden” ( IPL/2020/BIO-AmbuDrivers_ESTeSL ) and by Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education , under the program “Regional Initiative of Excellence” in 2019–2022 (Grant No. 008/RID/2018/19 ) and the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange ( PPN/BIL/2018/1/00231/U/00001 ).
Funding Information:
This work was supported by Instituto Polit?cnico de Lisboa, for funding the Project ?Occupational exposure of ambulance drivers to bioburden? (IPL/2020/BIO-AmbuDrivers_ESTeSL) and by Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education, under the program ?Regional Initiative of Excellence? in 2019?2022 (Grant No. 008/RID/2018/19) and the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (PPN/BIL/2018/1/00231/U/00001). H&TRC authors gratefully acknowledge the FCT/MCTES national support through the UIDB/05608/2020 and UIDP/05608/2020.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/4/1
Y1 - 2022/4/1
N2 - One of the occupational environments that need intervention to overcome the lack of information concerning exposure to biological agents is the Firefighter Headquarters’ (FFH). This study intends to assess the microbial contamination in Portuguese FFH with a multi-approach protocol for sampling and analyses using active (air samples by impaction and impingement) and passive (surface swabs collected as swabs, settled dust, cleaning cloths and mops, electrostatic dust cloths and identification badges) sampling methods. The fungal contamination was also characterized through molecular detection of toxigenic species, antifungal resistance and mycotoxins profile. Cytotoxicity assessment was included in specific cells line using the MTT assay in order to recognize the possible health effects. It was raised concern regarding the following findings: a) microbial contamination didn't comply with Portuguese IAQ legal requirements in most of the FFH (bacteria load 63.63%, fungal load 45.45%); b) fungal exposure through inhalation underlining a possible risk factor for respiratory diseases; c) prevalence of Aspergillus sp. in cleaning materials that might represent a potential source of cross-contamination; d) widespread of Aspergillus section Fumigati in all the FFH analysed; e) trend of multidrug resistance found among fungi with focus on Fumigati isolates; f) detection of several mycotoxins (fumonisin B2, nivalenol, mycophenolic acid and sterigmatocystin) and; g) potential role of Aspergillus genus in the cytotoxicity found, particularly in lung cells. The multi-approach on sampling methods (active and passive) and laboratory assays (culture based-methods, molecular tools, mycotoxins detection, cytotoxicity evaluation) improved data findings, enabling a more detailed and accurate risk characterization.
AB - One of the occupational environments that need intervention to overcome the lack of information concerning exposure to biological agents is the Firefighter Headquarters’ (FFH). This study intends to assess the microbial contamination in Portuguese FFH with a multi-approach protocol for sampling and analyses using active (air samples by impaction and impingement) and passive (surface swabs collected as swabs, settled dust, cleaning cloths and mops, electrostatic dust cloths and identification badges) sampling methods. The fungal contamination was also characterized through molecular detection of toxigenic species, antifungal resistance and mycotoxins profile. Cytotoxicity assessment was included in specific cells line using the MTT assay in order to recognize the possible health effects. It was raised concern regarding the following findings: a) microbial contamination didn't comply with Portuguese IAQ legal requirements in most of the FFH (bacteria load 63.63%, fungal load 45.45%); b) fungal exposure through inhalation underlining a possible risk factor for respiratory diseases; c) prevalence of Aspergillus sp. in cleaning materials that might represent a potential source of cross-contamination; d) widespread of Aspergillus section Fumigati in all the FFH analysed; e) trend of multidrug resistance found among fungi with focus on Fumigati isolates; f) detection of several mycotoxins (fumonisin B2, nivalenol, mycophenolic acid and sterigmatocystin) and; g) potential role of Aspergillus genus in the cytotoxicity found, particularly in lung cells. The multi-approach on sampling methods (active and passive) and laboratory assays (culture based-methods, molecular tools, mycotoxins detection, cytotoxicity evaluation) improved data findings, enabling a more detailed and accurate risk characterization.
KW - Aspergillus
KW - Azole resistance
KW - Cytotoxicity assessment
KW - Multi-approach for sampling and analyses
KW - Mycotoxins
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124484724&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.108862
DO - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.108862
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85124484724
SN - 0360-1323
VL - 213
JO - Building and Environment
JF - Building and Environment
M1 - 108862
ER -