dusts.org
← All dusts

Dust entry

Moldy wood-chip dust

Organic dust from mold-contaminated wood chips, documented in an occupational respiratory illness outbreak among workers unloading chips.

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

organic dust toxic syndromeacute respiratory illnesspulmonary mycotoxicosis concernrespiratory symptoms

Evidence

NIOSH reported that five golf-course workers became ill after working in dusty conditions while unloading a trailer containing grossly moldy wood chips; investigators found the episode may have been pulmonary mycotoxicosis, also called Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome, an acute respiratory illness associated with inhaling dust from contaminated organic materials.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Workplace Medical Mystery Solved · 5
The five who became ill worked in dusty conditions without respiratory protection while unloading the trailer that included moldy wood chips. It was determined that the outbreak may have been pulmonary mycotoxicosis, or Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (ODTS), which is an acute respiratory illness in workers who inhale dust from contaminated organic materials.

Controls