An algorithm for quantitatively estimating occupational endotoxin exposure in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study: I. Development of task-specific exposure levels from published data

Melissa C Friesen; Shuai Xie; Jean-François Sauvé; Susan Marie Viet; Pabitra R Josse; Sarah J Locke; Felicia Hung; Gabriella Andreotti; Peter S Thorne; Jonathan N Hofmann; Laura E Beane Freeman

doi:10.1002/ajim.23486

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An algorithm for quantitatively estimating occupational endotoxin exposure in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study: I. Development of task-specific exposure levels from published data

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An algorithm for quantitatively estimating occupational endotoxin exposure in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study: I. Development of task-specific exposure levels from published data

Melissa C Friesen, Shuai Xie, Jean-François Sauvé, Susan Marie Viet, Pabitra R Josse, Sarah J Locke, Felicia Hung, Gabriella Andreotti, Peter S Thorne, Jonathan N Hofmann, …

American journal of industrial medicine, Vol.66(7), pp.561-572

07/2023

DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23486

PMID: 37087684

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Abstract

Farmers conduct numerous tasks with potential for endotoxin exposure. As a first step to characterize endotoxin exposure for farmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) Study, we used published data to estimate task-specific endotoxin concentrations. We extracted published data on task-specific, personal, inhalable endotoxin concentrations for agricultural tasks queried in the study questionnaire. The data, usually abstracted as summary measures, were evaluated using meta-regression models that weighted each geometric mean (GM, natural-log transformed) by the inverse of its within-study variance to obtain task-specific predicted GMs. We extracted 90 endotoxin summary statistics from 26 studies for 9 animal-related tasks, 30 summary statistics from 6 studies for 3 crop-related tasks, and 10 summary statistics from 5 studies for 4 stored grain-related tasks. Work in poultry and swine confinement facilities, grinding feed, veterinarian services, and cleaning grain bins had predicted GMs > 1000 EU/m . In contrast, harvesting or hauling grain and other crop-related tasks had predicted GMs below 100 EU/m . These task-specific endotoxin GMs demonstrated exposure variability across common agricultural tasks. These estimates will be used in conjunction with questionnaire responses on task duration to quantitatively estimate endotoxin exposure for study participants, described in a companion paper.

endotoxin exposure

occupational questionnaires

exposure assessment

bioaerosol exposures

farming activities

Details

Title: Subtitle: An algorithm for quantitatively estimating occupational endotoxin exposure in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study: I. Development of task-specific exposure levels from published data
Creators: Melissa C Friesen - National Cancer Institute
Shuai Xie - National Cancer Institute
Jean-François Sauvé - Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité
Susan Marie Viet - Westat (United States)
Pabitra R Josse - National Cancer Institute
Sarah J Locke - National Cancer Institute
Felicia Hung - Yale University
Gabriella Andreotti - National Cancer Institute
Peter S Thorne - University of Iowa
Jonathan N Hofmann - National Cancer Institute
Laura E Beane Freeman - Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: American journal of industrial medicine, Vol.66(7), pp.561-572
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23486
PMID: 37087684
NLM abbreviation: Am J Ind Med
eISSN: 1097-0274
Grant note: NIH, NCI, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 04/23/2023
Date published: 07/2023
Academic Unit: Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health
Record Identifier: 9984399642002771

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