Exposure to biological agents and dusts occurs in homes and occupational environments and it is known to cause adverse health effects. There is limited information concerning the occupational exposure levels of airborne biohazard during wood processing, but this exposure is associated with a range of adverse health effects. Control of exposure to microbiological hazards and dust in woodworking is not easy. In fact, various types of wood are commonly used and they generate complex mixtures of dusts and biological agents with various health risks. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentration of dust, bacteria, and endotoxins encountered in six different wood factories. These people were exposed to between 0.05 and 12.00 mg inhalable dust m(-3) and between 0.40 and 6.93 ng inhalable endotoxins m(-3). Total bacteria concentrations in the air of the factories examined were within a range of 130-2000 CFU m(-3), the value of Gram negative was within a 0-164 CFU m(-3), and the concentration of Gram positive was within 1-104 CFU m(-3). In conclusion, people working in wood factories may be exposed to high levels of inhalable dust and endotoxins.

Background: Particle size affects the performance of personal air samplers used to measure dust exposure in the workplace. Few field studies have been conducted for comparing the performance of personal inhalable samplers. Objective: To compare wood dust sampling with two inhalable samplers: IOM (Institute of Occupational Medicine) and Italian cone. Methods: 136 Italian cone/IOM paired samples and 136 passive IOM samples were collected in 30 Italian woodworking industries. The valid number of sample pairs was 114. Ultra-large particles were collected by passive IOM. The sampling membranes were weighed and the size particles were measured. Mass differences in active and passive IOM samples were calculated (IOM-Δ). Results: Statistical analysis of all 114 Italian cone/active IOM paired results showed a significant mass difference (P < 0.05) and no significant mass difference for sanding and cutting woodworking processes. The Italian cone/IOM-Δ paired results consistently showed no statistically significant mass differences in any woodworking processes. Both samplers performed similarly when ultra-large particles mass contribution was not considered. Conclusions: These findings confirm the presence of ultra-large particles in woodworking. The Italian cone and IOM samplers can be used interchangeably for personal wood dust exposure assessment, when the wood activities produce small-size particles.

The aim of this study is to identify the infrared absorption band suitable for quantifying tremolite in three powdered samples (fine, medium, and large size classes) coming from a quarry of ophiolitic friable rocks in the western part of the Calabria region of Italy. Three IR bands were considered: OH stretching band between 3700 and 3650 cm−1, the stretching bands of the Si-O-Si linkage between 1200 and 900 cm−1, and the absorbance band at 756 cm−1attributable to tremolite. The amount of tremolite in the test samples was quantified by using the curve parameters of the three analytical bands. The quantitative analysis of tremolite using the band due to OH stretchings (3700–3650 cm−1) and the bands attributed to the Si-O-Si stretchings (1200–900 cm−1) showed high values for all test samples. Their use overestimated the tremolite amount because both bands were affected at the interfering mineral silicates such as talc, kaolinite, chlorite, and serpentinites. The abundant presence of antigorite in studied samples mainly in medium size class sample had a key role in our findings. The band at 756 cm−1was not affected at the interfering minerals and can be used for quantitative analysis of tremolite in sample coming from ophiolitic deposits.

Ophiolitic rocks cropping on Calabria territory, southern Italy, can hold asbestiform minerals potentially harmful for human health. The aim of this work was to detect the fibrous phases of ophiolites along the Coastal Chain of northern Calabria and southern part of the Sila massif. Above 220 massive samples were collected in the study areas and analyzed using optical and electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and Fourier transform infra-red spectrometry. The main fibrous constituent belonged to tremolite-actinolite series followed by fibrous antigorite that becomes more abundant in the samples collected in Reventino Mount surroundings. Results highlighted that serpentinites samples mainly consisted of antigorite and minor chrysotile. Samples collected along the coastal chain of northern Calabria did not hold fibrous materials. The results will be useful for Italian natural occurrences of asbestos (NOA) mapping in order to avoid an unintentional exposition by human activity or weathering processes.