Green Week Session 2.3

Transcription

1 Green Week 2013 Session 2.3 1

2 Bioaerosols a new threat? Dr. Regine Szewzyk Federal Environment Agency Berlin, Germany Szewzyk 2

3 Aerosols Very small (nm to µm) solid particles or liquid droplets dispersed in air (gas) Nebelbild Szewzyk 3

4 Bioaerosols Aerosols containing particles or substances of biological origin e.g.: - pollen from plants ( µm) - microorganisms: bacteria, fungi (1-10 µm) - viruses ( nm) - parts of microorganisms/plants - microbial substances (e.g. endotoxin, mycotoxin) - substances from of animals (cat, dog, mite, cockroach) Szewzyk 4

5 wikipedia.de Natural Bioaerosols I Pollen Part of the life cycle of plants wikipedia.de Szewzyk 5

6 Natural Bioaerosols II Spores Part of the life cycle of fungi Brock Szewzyk 6

7 Natural Bioaerosols Clearance mechanisms Allergic reactions - hay fever 10 % of children in German health survey - 5 % of children in German environmental survey sensitised to Alternaria alternata WikimediaCommons Ambrosia Szewzyk 7

8 Man-made Bioaerosols I Legionella in aerosols from showers pools/spas and cooling towers Medical Illustration Central Public Health Laboratory, UK Wikipedia Health risks: lung inflammation, death CAPNETZ study in Germany: - 15,000 to 30,000 cases/year - 1,500 to 3,000 death/year publications/2011/ /en Szewzyk 8

9 Man-made Bioaerosols II Very high bioaerosol concentrations at work places Health risks: problems with lung and mucous membranes: - ODTS (organic dust toxic syndrome e.g. humidifier fever) - EEA (extrinsic allergic alveolitis e.g. farmer`s lung) - MMI (mucous membrane irritation) - chronical bronchitis aplus.adas.co.uk Szewzyk 9

10 Umweltmykologie GbR Berlin Umweltmykologie GbR Berlin Man-made Bioaerosols III Elevated concentrations in the environment Indoor Air: Damp and mouldy buildings Health risks: - allergic reactions - upper respiratory tract symptoms - cough, wheeze - asthma exacerbation - unspecific health problems? Problem: no dose-response relationship causative agents not known Szewzyk 10

11 Man-made Bioaerosols III Anzahl der infizierten Personen (%) Number of infected persons S. typhi ( KB E) mittlere Dose Do si s Rotaviren (virale Einheiten) Gardia lamblia (Zysten) Dose-response relationship for pathogens in water No dose-response relationship for bioaerosols no limit values Solution: additional bioaerosols from damp and mouldy conditions indoors are not acceptable Comparison with natural concentrations Szewzyk 11

12 sueddeutsche.de ndr.de Man-made Bioaerosols IV Elevated concentrations in the environment Ambient Air Recycling facilities (e.g. composting) Intensive mass animal farming Health risks: Studies have indicated health effects in adjacent residential areas esp. in persons with atopic disorders Antibiotic resistant bacteria WikimediaCommons sueddeutsche.de Szewzyk 12

13 Man-made Bioaerosols IV No dose-response relationship no limit values Solution: Additional bioaerosols from factories are not acceptable in residential areas Comparison with natural concentrations Concentration of indicator microorganism (number/m 2 ) Distance from factory (m) VDI 4250 with changes Szewzyk 13

14 Summary Bioaerosols an old threat - with new anthropogenic (man-made) aspects Bioaerosols can cause health problems Measures should be taken to minimize bioaerosol concentrations - at work places, - indoors (mouldy buildings) and - in ambient air (recycling industry, intensive mass animal farming) Szewzyk 14

15 Summary What concentrations are acceptable? Problem: no dose-response relationship no limit values Solution: concentrations above the background level should be considered a potential health problem (precautionary principle) Positive effects of (farm) bioaerosols: exposure in early life protective effect on allergy/asthma More research needed Szewzyk 15

16 Airborne microrganisms Thank you for your attention Joachim Czichos: What s so funny about microbiology ISBN Szewzyk 16