Exposure to a mix of common airborne agricultural contaminants could lead to lung effects in females, a new University of Saskatchewan (USask) study has uncovered.
Farmers are exposed daily to a variety of potential contaminants such as endotoxins (substances associated with certain bacteria) in dust, which are well-known to trigger lung inflammation and asthma. However, how endotoxins specifically impact women’s health is not well understood, particularly when there is also exposure to a herbicide called glyphosate, widely used in agricultural work.
Now, USask researchers have detected lung effects in female mice models just five days after a combined exposure, simulating the same quantity of endotoxins and herbicide farmers could breathe over a work week.
The team was able to take detailed images of the affected lungs thanks to the powerful X-rays of the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at USask.
These images showed that fluid had built up in the lungs during this short exposure period. The alveoli – the small air sacks that play a crucial role in breathing – also became thicker, overall showing more impact than that found in mice dosed only with a single contaminant.
These results were recently published in Scientific Reports as one of the first studies focusing on agricultural airborne exposure in female mice.
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