[Risk management of soybean-related asthma: monitoring and surveillance]

Allergen emissions during soybean unloading operations in the Barcelona harbor have caused asthma epidemics. The present article aimed to describe the surveillance and control measures carried out by the public health services.

Data were extracted from control systems from 1999 to 2009, with description of the surveillance schemes for allergen emissions, environmental concentrations (with defined reference levels) and for health.

Of 95 studies of plant emission, four were above the reference levels, and filters were found to be the most likely cause. Mean environmental concentrations were low but were above the reference levels on 13 days; these levels were related to adverse meteorological conditions and incidents in the plants. No health effects were detected in the panel of patients nor epidemic asthma days.

The system detects incidents and has shown its usefulness in protecting public health.