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Dust entry

Insect-breeder allergen dust

Airborne dust and protein particulate generated while breeding locusts, crickets, mealworms, and other insects for animal feed.

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

work-related respiratory symptomsallergic sensitizationoccupational asthma concernrespiratory irritation

Evidence

A NIOSH-indexed occupational-health abstract studied 32 insect breeders exposed to high numbers of insects and measured inhalable dust and protein; 34% reported work-related respiratory symptoms, and workers showed sensitization to locust or mealworm allergens.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 1 · Respiratory Symptoms and Specific Antibody Levels among Insect Breeders · 1
11 (34%) subjects reported work related respiratory symptoms ... 3 were sensitised to a workplace allergen. Of the workplace allergens tested, 1 employee had specific IgE to locust only, 2 to mealworm only and 1 to both locust and mealworm. Inhalable dust and protein concentrations ranged from 0.74 mg/m3 to 17.90 mg/m3 ...

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