Biomaterial Database

Occupational exposure to airborne endotoxins during poultry processing. 1982

S A Olenchock, and S W Lenhart, and J C Mull

Airborne gram-negative bacterial endotoxin levels were quantified in a live chicken hanging (shackling) room of a poultry processing plant. The mean respirable dust levels at the entrance and exit of the shackling line were 1.13 +/- 0.12 and 0.72 +/- 0.06 mg/m3, respectively, or approximately 6% of the total dust. Endotoxins constituted 43.3 +/- 2.8 micrograms per gram of respirable dust. Airborne endotoxins were present in the total dust at the mean level of 918.4 +/- 159.0 ng/m3 at the room entrance and 634.0 +/- 96.9 ng/m3 at the exit, with respirable levels of 44.3 +/- 7.8 and 33.6 +/- 2.2 ng/m3. Inhalation of gram-negative bacterial endotoxins can result in respiratory and systemic pathophysiology. The potential for adverse health effects in the working environment of the live poultry processing industry is discussed. Medical studies of workers in this area are required to confirm or deny the existence of occupationally related health effects.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008452	Maximum Allowable Concentration	The maximum exposure to a biologically active physical or chemical agent that is allowed during an 8-hour period (a workday) in a population of workers, or during a 24-hour period in the general population, which does not appear to cause appreciable harm, whether immediate or delayed for any period, in the target population. (From Lewis Dictionary of Toxicology, 1st ed)	Maximum Permissible Exposure Level,MPEL,Maximum Permissible Exposure Concentration,Allowable Concentration, Maximum,Allowable Concentrations, Maximum,Concentration, Maximum Allowable,Concentrations, Maximum Allowable,MPELs,Maximum Allowable Concentrations
D009657	North Carolina	State bounded on the north by Virginia, on the east and Southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Georgia and South Carolina, and on the west by Tennessee.
D011200	Poultry	Domesticated birds raised for food. It typically includes CHICKENS; TURKEYS, DUCKS; GEESE; and others.	Fowls, Domestic,Domestic Fowl,Domestic Fowls,Fowl, Domestic,Poultries
D004391	Dust	Earth or other matter in fine, dry particles. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)	House Dust,Housedust,Dust, House
D004731	Endotoxins	Toxins closely associated with the living cytoplasm or cell wall of certain microorganisms, which do not readily diffuse into the culture medium, but are released upon lysis of the cells.	Endotoxin
D000393	Air Pollutants	Any substance in the air which could, if present in high enough concentration, harm humans, animals, vegetation or materials. Substances include GASES; PARTICULATE MATTER; and volatile ORGANIC CHEMICALS.	Air Pollutant,Air Pollutants, Environmental,Environmental Air Pollutants,Environmental Pollutants, Air,Air Environmental Pollutants,Pollutant, Air,Pollutants, Air,Pollutants, Air Environmental,Pollutants, Environmental Air
D000395	Air Pollutants, Occupational	Toxic air-borne matter related to work performed They are usually produced by the specific nature of the occupation.	Occupational Air Pollutants,Pollutants, Occupational Air
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia