Exposure of waste handlers to bacteria, fungal spores, inhalable dust, endotoxins, and glucans (individual median exposure from Monday until Thursday and only on Wednesday are shown)
| Exposure level | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday until Thursday, n*=93 | Only Wednesday, n=31 | |||
| Exposure | Median | Range | Median | Range |
| *Number of measurements. | ||||
| †Total bacteria: spherical, rod shaped bacteria estimated by fluorescence microscopy, and actinomycetes spores estimated by scanning electron microscopy. | ||||
| Total bacteria†, 106/m3 | 0.84 | 0.06–3.8 | 0.89 | 0.03–4.2 |
| Rod shaped, 106/m3 | 0.004 | 0–0.1 | 0.006 | 0–0.2 |
| Spherical, 106/m3 | 0.82 | 0.06–3.7 | 0.81 | 0.03–4.2 |
| Actinomycetes spores, 106/m3 | 0 | 0–1.1 | 0 | 0–2.2 |
| Fungal spores, 106/m3 | 0.17 | 0–2.0 | 0.16 | 0–2.0 |
| Inhalable dust, mg/m3 | 0.35 | 0.1–2.1 | 0.30 | 0–6.6 |
| Endotoxins, EU/m3 | 13 | 7–180 | 18 | 4–180 |
| β(1→3)-glucans, ng/m3 | 40 | 3–220 | 26 | 2–190 |