The Inhalable Mycobiome of Sawmill Workers: Exposure Characterization and Diversity

• DOI: 10.1128/aem.01448-19
• Publication Date: 2019-08-19T09:33:16Z
• Authors: Anne Straumfors; Oda A. H. Foss; Janina Fuss; Steen K. Mollerup; Håvard Kauserud; Sunil Mundra
• Keywords: Fungal Diversity

Exposure to fungal spores has been associated with respiratory symptoms and allergic alveolitis among sawmill workers, but the complexity of workers' exposure poorly studied. We characterized diversity in air samples from breathing zones identified differences richness, diversity, taxonomic composition between companies, departments, wood types, seasons. Full-shift personal inhalable dust (n = 86) collected 11 industrial sawmill, sorting mill, planer mill companies processing spruce and/or pine were subjected DNA metabarcoding using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region 2. The workers exposed a higher total number operational units (OTUs) summer than winter when pine. Workers saw department had richest exposure, followed by planing dry timber department. Sawmills explained 11% variation community season (5%) (3%). compositions exposures also differed seasons, sawmills, departments at level, ranging phylum species level. suggest that potential health effects inhalation may be different; hence, risk assessment based on should performed. This study serve as basis for establishing profile signature are specific sawmills can measured quantitatively future assessments workers.IMPORTANCE To gain more knowledge about exposure-response relationships, it is important improve characterization comprehensively identifying temporal spatial workplaces. diverse communities which individuals different seasons suggests variations exposure-related expected. More importantly, distinct profiles across indicate job groups differently risks specific. provides insight into broad spectrum airborne fungi obtaining exposed.