What will the project investigate?
Employees in slaughterhouses can be exposed to bioaerosols, a complex mixture of bacteria, fungi, endotoxins, glucans, mycotoxins, and allergens from animal material, as well as chemicals used for washing down and disinfection. The main aim of the project is to assess the exposure to inhalable bioaerosols and associated health effects in the dirty zone of meat and poultry slaughterhouses. The dirty zone includes work processes from live animals, through stunning and butchering, to the initial processing steps, and includes animal handling prior to slaughter, handling of slaughterhouse waste, and cleaning. The occurrence of skin and respiratory symptoms will be investigated with questionnaires, and biological effect markers will be identified and quantified in particles from exhaled air (PExA) and in blood samples.
How exposure will be measured
To assess the exposure, air samples will be collected in the workers’ breathing zone throughout the workday. The samples will be analyzed for bioaerosols, including bacteria, fungi, endotoxins, mycotoxins, and glucans.
In addition to air samples, biological samples will be collected from exposed workers and a control group. The biological samples will consist of particles in exhaled air (PExA) and blood samples to identify biomarkers associated with early respiratory symptoms and diseases. PExA samples will be analyzed with proteomics to characterize the composition of proteins and lipids. Blood samples will also be analyzed with proteomics for protein composition, and multiplex biomarker technology (Luminex) will be used to measure signaling molecules that indicate inflammation and immune responses in the airways. Taken together, these measurements will provide a comprehensive picture of exposure and biological effects in the work environment of slaughterhouse workers. In addition to the biological samples, the occurrence of health effects affecting the skin and airways will be investigated using a questionnaire.
Why do we need knowledge about this?
Meat and poultry production is a central part of the Norwegian food industry. The proportion of employees in the food industry who report having respiratory symptoms is relatively high compared with other sectors. Operators in the food industry also have higher rates of physician-certified sick leave. It is known that some respiratory symptoms among workers in the food industry are due to exposure to bioaerosols. In addition, operators can be exposed to chemicals used for washing down and disinfection. There is limited knowledge about both the degree of exposure to bioaerosols, and which concentration increases the risk of respiratory symptoms and diseases among employees in slaughterhouses.
The project will increase knowledge about bioaerosol exposures in the dirty zone of slaughterhouses, as well as which exposure concentrations may affect health. This is important knowledge for both employers and employees in preventive HSE (health, safety, and environment) work in slaughterhouses and may over time reduce sickness absence and attrition in the industry.
External partners and contributors
Berika, Fatland Jæren, Norsk Kylling, and Nortura are collaboration partners in the project. In addition, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise Food and Drink (NHO Mat og Drikke), the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), the Inclusive Workplace (IA) sector program for the food industry, and the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority are represented on the project’s reference group.
The project has received research funding from the IA sector program for the food industry.
Scientific collaborators
STAMI has entered a collaboration with Örebro University in connection with the project.
More information is to be found on the Norwegian project page.