Studies of the level of farmers' exposure to dust on private farms - based on fraction analyses

Abstract

Studies of the level of exposure to dust among farmers on private farms covered the measurements of dustiness while they performed work activities from the aspect of farmer's exposure to individual fractions of the dust inhaled and potentially deposited in individual sections of the airways. The measurements were carried out in the respiratory zone while performing activities contributing to working processes in mixed agricultural production on private farms in an annual work cycle. The article presents the results of studies of the concentrations of inhalable, extrathoracic, thoracic, thoraco-bronchial and alveolic fractions, which allowed the assessment of the percentage distribution of dust deposited in individual sections of the airways, and enabled the estimation of an annual farmers' exposure to individual dust fractions while performing specific work activities on farms. The results of the assessment of farmers' annual exposure to individual fractions of dust indicated that the activities for which the highest values of mean annual weighted concentrations were noted, with respect to all fractions, were: sorting and packing of potatoes, harvesting cereals with a combine harvester, grain crushing, potato digging, and tending stock in cattle and swine breeding. The results obtained will allow the expansion of knowledge concerning the effect of agricultural dust on the human body, and enable the determination of the effect of dust deposited in individual sections of the respiratory system on the state of health of farmers. In future, this will also allow the development of the criteria of hygienic evaluation for dust penetrating into the region of the chest.