Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Acute lung function changes and low endotoxin exposures in the potato processing industry

J P Zock1, A Hollander, D Heederik

  • 1Environmental and Occupational Health, Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands.

American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|March 26, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Potato processing workers exposed to high endotoxin levels experienced significant lung function decline during work shifts. This occupational exposure, particularly above 53 EU/m3, is linked to adverse respiratory effects and reduced lung capacity.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Investigating animals and environments in contact with leptospirosis patients in Aotearoa New Zealand reveals complex exposure pathways.

New Zealand veterinary journal·2025
Same author

Occupational exposures to pesticides and other chemicals: a New Zealand motor neuron disease case-control study.

Occupational and environmental medicine·2022
Same author

Spatial Effects of Livestock Farming on Human Infections With Shiga Toxin-Producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157 in Small but Densely Populated Regions: The Case of the Netherlands.

GeoHealth·2020
Same author

Obesity measures in the Kiribati population: a need to reclassify body mass index cut-points.

BMC public health·2020
Same author

Respiratory diseases and allergy in farmers working with livestock: a EAACI position paper.

Clinical and translational allergy·2020
Same author

Atmospheric dispersion modelling of bioaerosols that are pathogenic to humans and livestock - A review to inform risk assessment studies.

Microbial risk analysis·2020

Area of Science:

  • Occupational Health
  • Environmental Health
  • Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

  • Workplace exposure to endotoxins is a known risk factor for respiratory issues.
  • Potato processing plants can be environments with significant airborne endotoxin levels.
  • Understanding the dose-response relationship between endotoxin exposure and lung function is crucial for worker safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between endotoxin exposure and respiratory symptoms in potato processing workers.
  • To quantify across-shift changes in lung function in relation to endotoxin exposure levels.
  • To determine a threshold for endotoxin exposure associated with significant lung function impairment.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 61 potato processing workers, categorizing them by low (21 EU/m3) and high (56 EU/m3) mean endotoxin exposure.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Measured respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest tightness.
  • Monitored lung function parameters (FEV1, MMEF, FVC) across multiple work shifts, especially after absences.

    • Main Results:

    • Workers reported respiratory symptoms, predominantly in the low endotoxin group.
    • Across-shift lung function (FEV1, MMEF) decreased during work shifts, most notably after breaks.
    • High endotoxin exposure correlated with greater across-shift lung function decline, particularly on the first day post-absence.
    • Lung function was lower at the start of the second shift compared to the first, with a more pronounced effect in highly exposed workers.

    Conclusions:

    • Significant across-shift lung function decreases in potato processing workers are linked to endotoxin exposure levels.
    • An 8-hour exposure threshold of 53 EU/m3 endotoxin is associated with notable lung function changes.
    • Findings highlight the need for controlling endotoxin exposure to prevent occupational respiratory disease in this industry.