Bacteriological Studies in Lancashire Cotton Mills

A.F. Tuxford and I.J. Moogan


 
ABSTRACT

This paper reports the bacteriological aspects of a joint study conducted during 1983-85 by the Department of Occupational Health and the Department of Bacteriology and Virology of the University of Manchester into the prevalence of byssinosis in shire cotton mills. Bacteriological sampling of the air at several sites in 13 spinning mills which processed different grades of cotton and manmade fibre was undertaken using an Anderson slit sampler, and the viable counts of 20 bacterial species were calculated for each site thrice during a working shift. A more intensive survey was made of a mill processing fine cottons with repeated air sampling during the course of one week. Samples of water, fibre and cotton from 8 mills were also collected for bacterial culture. In addition sera from 95 persons who attended the Pneumeconiosis Panel in Manchester for diagnosis of byssinosis were examined for antibodies to some of the bacterial species isolated and to Legionella species.



Reprinted from 1986 Proceedings: Tenth Cotton Dust Research Conference pp. 73 - 77
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998