{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T05:41:13Z","timestamp":1777354873155,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,2]],"date-time":"2019-08-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1564704000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"005DBB\/12","award":["005DBB\/12"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["005DBB\/12"]}]},{"name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","award":["02\/SAICT\/2016 \u2013 Project n\u00ba 23222"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["02\/SAICT\/2016 \u2013 Project n\u00ba 23222"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Several studies reported adverse respiratory health effects in workers exposed to ambient contaminants in bakeries. The aim of this study was to examine worker exposure to fungi and mycotoxins in Portuguese bakeries in order to develop new policies in occupational health. Environmental samples such as air, surfaces, settled dust and electrostatic dust collector (EDC) were collected in 13 bakeries for fungal and mycotoxins assessment. Air samples obtained by impaction were performed applying malt extract agar (MEA) supplemented with chloramphenicol (0.05%) and dichloran glycerol (DG18) agar-based media. Air samples collected through impinger method were determined as well for fungal detection by molecular tools of Aspergillus sections and mycotoxins. The highest median value for fungal load was 1053 CFU\u00b7m\u22123 and 65.3% (32 out of 49) of the sampling sites displayed higher fungal load than limits imposed by the World Health Organization. Aspergillus genera was found in air, surface swabs and EDC. Molecular tools were effective in measuring Aspergillus section Fumigati in 22.4% on air, 27.8% on surface swabs and in 7.4% in EDC and Aspergillus section Versicolores in one air sample. All settled dust samples showed contamination with six to eight mycotoxins in each sample. The mycotoxins detected were deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, monoacetoxyscirpenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, fumonisin B1, fumonisin B2, griseofulvin, HT2, ochratoxin A, ochratoxin B and mycophenolic acid. Industrial hygienists and exposure assessors should rely on different sampling methods (active and passive) and different assays (culture based and molecular methods) to obtain an accurate risk characterization regarding fungal burden (fungi and mycotoxins). Additionally, the awareness for the raw material as a potential mycotoxins indoor contamination source is important.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms7080234","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,2]],"date-time":"2019-08-02T11:58:16Z","timestamp":1564747096000},"page":"234","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Characterization of Occupational Exposure To Fungal Burden in Portuguese Bakeries"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1545-6479","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carla","family":"Viegas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Lisboa, H&amp;TRC\u2015Health &amp; Technology Research Center, ESTeSL\u2015Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Sa\u00fade, 1990-096 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica, Escola Nacional de Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1600-560 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Tiago","family":"Faria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Ci\u00eancias e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, Universidade de Lisboa, E.N. 10 ao km 139,7, 2695-066 Bobadela LRS, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1496-2609","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Liliana Aranha","family":"Caetano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Lisboa, H&amp;TRC\u2015Health &amp; Technology Research Center, ESTeSL\u2015Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Sa\u00fade, 1990-096 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4165-7052","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elisabete","family":"Carolino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Lisboa, H&amp;TRC\u2015Health &amp; Technology Research Center, ESTeSL\u2015Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Sa\u00fade, 1990-096 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Anita","family":"Quintal-Gomes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Lisboa, H&amp;TRC\u2015Health &amp; Technology Research Center, ESTeSL\u2015Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Sa\u00fade, 1990-096 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2568-1178","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Magdalena","family":"Twaru\u017cek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physiology and Toxicology, Institute of Experimental BiologyKazimierz Wielki University, Chodkiewicza 30, 85\u2013064 Bydgoszcz, Poland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7338-6341","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robert","family":"Kosicki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physiology and Toxicology, Institute of Experimental BiologyKazimierz Wielki University, Chodkiewicza 30, 85\u2013064 Bydgoszcz, Poland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1015-8760","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Susana","family":"Viegas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica, Escola Nacional de Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1600-560 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Lisboa, H&amp;TRC\u2015Health &amp; Technology Research Center, ESTeSL\u2015Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Sa\u00fade, 1990-096 Lisboa, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"306","DOI":"10.1108\/NFS-11-2015-0149","article-title":"Preferences and consumer habits related to bread in the centre of Portugal","volume":"46","author":"Matos","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nutr. 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