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Dust entry

Mushroom compost dust and bioaerosol

Dust and bioaerosols from commercial mushroom compost, casing, harvesting, and related farm operations.

Airborne form

aerosol

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

respiratory ill healthoccupational asthma concernairway sensitizationallergic respiratory responses

Evidence

HSE reports that mushroom-farm workers may inhale bioaerosols containing bacteria, fungi, and mushroom spores, all of which have potential to cause respiratory ill health.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 1 · Summary · 3
Seven cases of Mushroom Workers Lung (MWL) were diagnosed among ZMF workers ... Industrial hygiene data indicated that farm workers from every operation were exposed to organic dust constituents capable of causing MWL (a form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis).

HSE describes agricultural dusts as complex mixtures that can include fungal spores, bacteria, endotoxins, mites, animal dander, faeces, plant dust, soil, bedding, feed, and chemicals; it reports cough, wheezing, chest tightness, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis when inhaled dust triggers an allergic respiratory reaction.

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Agricultural dusts; Symptoms · 1
Agricultural dusts ... can be a complex mixture of organic and inorganic materials derived from fungal spores, bacteria, endotoxins, mites, animal dander and faeces, plant dust, soil, bedding, feed and feed components, chemicals ... The symptoms of asthma are coughing, wheezing and chest tightness. Other associated conditions are runny or stuffy nose (rhinitis) and/or conjunctivitis.

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