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[Intentional use of harmful biological agents in work processes in Poland based on the National Register of
Anna Kozajda1, Emilia Miśkiewicz1
1Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Zakład Bezpieczeństwa Chemicznego, Pracownia Bezpieczeństwa Biologicznego / Department of Chemical Safety, Biological Safety Unit).
Background:
The work presents the intentional use of harmful biological agents based on National Register of Biological Agents (Krajowego Rejestru Czynników Biologicznych - KRCB) collected by June 2023.
Material And Methods:
The KRCB is a central database gathering notifications of the intentional use of biological agents in risk groups 2-4 in the workplace in accordance with the regulation of the Minister of Health of December 11, 2020 amending the regulation regarding biological agents.
Results:
with the regulation of the Minister of Health of December 11, 2020 amending the regulation regarding biological agents. Results: Notifications were sent by 712 enterprises for: diagnostic - 62%, research - 31% and industrial purposes - 7%. Notifications were most often sent by hospital and non-hospital clinical and diagnostic laboratories (33% each group) and higher education and research units - 16%. In total, 7352 workers (88% women, 12% men) were exposed to biological agents intentionally used at work. Biological agents from 2 and 3 group risk were used by 98% and 16% enterprises, respectively. The most frequently were used bacteria Escherichia coli (with the exception of non-pathogenic strains) - 5972 (81%) exposed workers, Staphylococcus aureus - respectively 5760 (78%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa - 5155 (70%). Among the total workers, nearly 25% were exposed to at least 1 biological agent carcinogenic to humans, including viruses (hepatitis B virus [HBV] - 1800 workers, 24%; hepatitis C virus [HCV] - respectively, 1767, 24%; human immunodeficiency virus-1 [HIV-1] - 1557, 21%; human gammaherpesvirus type 4 (Epstein-Barr virus) - 199, 3%; Papillomaviridae - 52, <1%; human gammaherpesvirus type 8 [HHV-8] - 16, <1%; human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 [HTLV- 1] - 38, <1%; bacteria Helicobacter pylori - 299, 4%; parasites Schistosoma haematobium - 9, <1%).
Conclusions:
Intentionally used biological agents most often pose a threat to workers of hospital and non-hospital clinical and diagnostic laboratories, but a higher health risk concerns workers of and higher education and research units. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2023;74(6):501-11.
