Exposure to Heavy Metals in Wood Dust During Dry-Pruning in Vineyard

The initial part of winter pruning of the vineyard, also called dry pruning, is carried out mechanically during the period of vegetative rest of the vines. The operation exposes the operators to floating particles of wood, which is classified as a carcinogenic agent. Therefore, a study aimed to investigate the workers exposure was carried out in vineyards located in Sicily (Italy), in five lots situated on the north face of Mt Etna (CT). The wood dust (both total suspended particles and respirable fraction) was sampled by active filter sampling carried out by means of personal air samplers. The collected wood dust underwent to gravimetric and chemical analysis, including heavy metals. Apart from the fact that the obtained values of inhalable dust do not exceed the legal threshold of concentration, the first results suggest that attention should be paid to the exposure of the operators to wood dust generated during mechanical pruning of vineyards. Potential risks for the health from longer times of exposure should be carefully evaluated.