Internal exposure to organic substances in a municipal waste incinerator.

Fifty-three persons occupied in a municipal waste incinerator were examined with respect to their internal exposure to organic substances which may be produced during pyrolysis of organic matter. For this purpose the levels of benzene in blood, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in plasma, and mono- (MCPs), di- (DCPs), tri- (TCPs), tetra- (TCEPs) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) and hydroxypyrene in urine were determined. For control purposes, 431 men and women were examined. Significantly higher values for the workers were found for the excretion of hydroxypyrene [median (m): 0.24 vs 0.11 microgram/l; non-smokers], 2,4/2,5-DCP (m: 10.5 vs 3.9 micrograms/l) and 2,4,5-TCP (m: 1.2 vs 0.8 micrograms/l) and for the HCB level in plasma (m: 4.4 vs 2.8 micrograms/l). For the concentrations of 4-MCP and 2,3,4,6/2,3,5,6-TECP, the controls had significantly higher concentrations in urine than did the workers in the incineration plant (m: 4-MCP 1.7 vs 1.2; 2,3,4,6/2,3,5,6-TECP: 1.2 vs 0.3 micrograms/l). No significant differences between workers and controls were detected with respect to benzene in blood (m: 0.20 vs 0.28 microgram/l; non-smokers), 2,4,6-TCP and PCPs in urine (m: 0.85 vs 0.60 and 2.2 vs 2.2 micrograms/l) or the levels of PCB congeners in plasma (m: sigma 138, 153, 180: 5.6 vs 4.1 micrograms/l). The elevated levels of hydroxypyrene, 2,4/2,5-DCP, 2,4,5-TCP and HCB in biological material may be related to the incineration of the waste. These elevations, however, are very small and are of interest more from the environmental than from the occupational point of view.

[Pathogenicity of Listeria]. / Zur Pathogenität von Listerien.

20 different Listeria strains which hitherto have been all classed with the same serovar 3 of L. monocytogenes because of common surface markers, differ markedly in respect to their pathogenic capacities. Some strains are virulent, because they are able to multiply within a normal, adult mouse. Others show only weak virulence, since they survive within the host for several days. Multiplication, however, does not occur. Still other strains are rapidly eliminated and thus avirulent. These characteristics are still more pronounced in the compromised host. The avirulent strains are even not able to multiply in mice deprived of macrophage function, in T-lymphocyte-deficient mice or in newborn mice. These avirulent strains have to be classified into the new species of L. innuocua because of biochemical markers, whereby the absence of hemolysin production is crucial. Whereas priming of protective immunity is only possible by strains of high and intermediate virulence of L. monocytogenes, boosting of pre-existing immunity could also be achieved by the avirulent strain of L. innocua.