| Front page | | Next |

Health effects of predatory beneficial mites and wasps in greenhouses

Contents

Preface

Sammenfatning

Summary

1 Introduction

• 1.1 Health of greenhouse workers
• 1.2 Beneficial arthropods
  • 1.2.1 Production and use in the greenhouses
  • 1.2.2 Health effects of predatory animals
  • 1.2.3 Health effects of Tetranychus urticae and Tyrophagus putrescentiae
  • 1.2.4 Conclusions from the studies of predatory mites
  • 1.2.5 Health effects of the beneficial arthropods

2 Biology of the selected species of arthropods

• 2.1 The predatory mite Amblyseius cucumeris
• 2.2 The predatory mite Amblyseius californicus
• 2.3 The predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis
• 2.4 The predatory mite Hypoaspis miles
• 2.5 The parasitoid Aphidius colemani
• 2.6 The parasitoid Encarsia Formosa
• 2.7 The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae
• 2.8 The mould mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae

3 The epidemiological study

• 3.1 Aims and general study design
• 3.2 The greenhouses
• 3.3 The persons
• 3.4 Unexposed persons without contact to greenhouses

4 Exposure assessment

• 4.1 Sources of information
  • 4.1.1 Inquiry in 1996
  • 4.1.2 Information from questionnaires 1997-2001
  • 4.1.3 Horticulture inquiry 2004
• 4.2 Individual exposure assessment

5 Analyses of specific IgE

• 5.1 Screening for IgE
• 5.2 Material and methods
• 5.3 Reanalyses of the positive screening values for all the measurements
• 5.4 Statistical analysis
• 5.5 Results
  • 5.5.1 Aphidius colemani
  • 5.5.2 Amblyseius cucumeris
  • 5.5.3 Phytoseiulus persimilis
  • 5.5.4 Hypoaspis miles
  • 5.5.5 Tetranychus urticae
  • 5.5.6 Correlation between the different IgEs
  • 5.5.7 Correlation between the IgEs in the follow-up
• 5.6 Discussion
• 5.7 Conclusions

6 Histamine release tests

• 6.1 Background
• 6.2 Material and methods
  • 6.2.1 Selection of persons for analysis
  • 6.2.2 Analytical methods
  • 6.2.3 Statistical methods
• 6.3 Results
  • 6.3.1 Persons without exposure to greenhouses
  • 6.3.2 Greenhouse workers
  • 6.3.3 Correlation between histamine release and specific IgE
• 6.4 Discussion
• 6.5 Conclusions

7 Relation between exposure and health effects

• 7.1 Introduction
• 7.2 Analysis of the symptom score
  • 7.2.1 Analytical methods
• 7.3 Results
• 7.4 Asthma score, lung function, and bronchial reactivity
• 7.5 Cases with possible symptoms related to sensitization
• 7.6 Discussion
• 7.7 Conclusions

8 Exposure estimation and individual sensitivity

• 8.1 Background
• 8.2 Material and methods
  • 8.2.1 Sampling strategy
  • 8.2.2 Sampling methods
  • 8.2.3 Analytical methods
• 8.3 Results
  • 8.3.1 Individual sensitivity
• 8.4 Discussion and Conclusions

9 Discussion and conclusions

10 Conclusions

11 Suggestions for regulation, preventive measures, and further research

• 11.1 Suggestions for further research

12 References

Appendix 1

| Front page | | Next | | Top |

Version 1.0 August 2007, © Danish Environmental Protection Agency