dusts.org
← All dusts

Dust entry

Blastomyces-contaminated soil dust

Dust from disturbed soil or organic material containing Blastomyces spores in areas where the fungus is present.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

blastomycosisfungal lung infectionfevercoughfatiguerespiratory disease concern

Evidence

A NIOSH evaluation of a pulp-and-paper mill blastomycosis outbreak found that 162 of 645 workers met the case definition, with higher prevalence among workers in the paper mill and maintenance areas; NIOSH sampled soil, organic material, surface dust, and HVAC filters and identified dust/mold distribution through ventilation as a control concern.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 6 · Our Key Findings · 1
There were 162 of 645 workers who met the NIOSH case definition for blastomycosis. ... Workers in the E1 Paper Mill and Maintenance areas had a higher prevalence of blastomycosis ... We collected a variety of environmental samples, including soil, organic material, surface dust, and filter materials from the HVAC systems ... Ventilation systems impact how contaminants like dust, pollen, and mold are distributed and removed from spaces.

NIOSH states that workers exposed to dust from disturbed soil in areas where these fungi live have higher risk, and identifies blastomycosis as an infection caused by Blastomyces.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Work activities that might increase your risk
In general, workers in areas where these fungi live who are exposed to dust from disturbed soil are at a higher risk.

Controls