Browsing by Author "Smajdova, Lenka"
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- Bioburden exposure in highly contaminated occupational environmentsPublication . Viegas, Carla; Smajdova, Lenka; Faria, Tiago; Gomes, Anita Quintal; Viegas, SusanaThe presence of high levels of bioaerosols is frequently the result of the natural colonization of an organic substrate present in the workplace. Therefore bioaerosol composition depends on the type of setting and materials that are handled/used. Each of the components has normally health-based recommended exposure limit but workers are normally exposed to the mixture present in the bioaerosols and this can implicate different and more severe health effects than being exposed to a singular component. The purpose of this chapter is to review the microbiota and metabolites concentrations found in occupational environments with high probability to contain high microbiota load. Additionally, It also addresses the most frequently encountered fungal and bacteria species, the sampling strategy selected and the measured metabolites and tasks involving high exposure. The review focuses on 43 articles that were considered relevant to this topic (scientific studies published between 1991 and 2017). It was possible to obtain relevant data regarding the settings and tasks that involve higher exposure to bioaerosols and highlighting also the future challenges to ensure a suitable exposure assessment of the microbiota burden.
- The use of genotoxicity biomarkers in molecular epidemiology: applications in environmental, occupational and dietary studiesPublication . Ladeira, Carina; Smajdova, LenkaMolecular epidemiology is an approach increasingly used in the establishment of associations between exposure to hazardous substances and development of disease, including the possible modulation by genetic susceptibility factors. Environmental chemicals and contaminants from the anthropogenic pollution of air, water, and soil, but also originating specifically in occupational contexts, are potential sources of risk of development of the disease. Also, diet presents an important role in this process, with some well-characterized associations existing between nutrition and some types of cancer. Genotoxicity biomarkers allow the detection of early effects that result from the interaction between the individual and the environment; they are therefore important tools in cancer epidemiology and are extensively used in human biomonitoring studies. This work intends to give an overview of the potential for genotoxic effects assessment, specifically with the cytokinesis blocked micronucleus assay and comet assay in environmental and occupational scenarios, including diet. The plasticity of these techniques allows their inclusion in human biomonitoring studies, adding important information with the ultimate aim of disease prevention, in particular cancer, and so it is important that they are included as genotoxicity assays in molecular epidemiology.