Background: Municipal solid waste (MSW) sorting facilities are significant sources of airborne biological contaminants. Occupational exposure to bioaerosols, including bacteria and fungi, poses potential health risks for waste workers, particularly in poorly ventilated and high-activity zones.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess airborne concentrations of bacteria and fungi across key operational areas of an MSW sorting facility and to evaluate the associated non-carcinogenic health risks using a quantitative health risk assessment (HRA) model.
Methods: Air samples were collected from four indoor sampling sites and one outdoor control site using impaction methods. Concentrations of culturable airborne bacteria and fungi were determined and compared with international guideline values. A US EPA-based HRA model was employed to estimate chronic daily intake (CDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) values.
Results: Bacterial concentrations ranged from 16 to 4128 CFU/m³ and fungal concentrations from 22 to 1120 CFU/m³. The manual sorting station exhibited the highest bioaerosol levels. Calculated HQs for bacterial exposure exceeded the acceptable limit (HQ > 1.0) at multiple sites, particularly at the manual sorting line (HQ = 2.87), indicating potential non-carcinogenic health effects. Fungal exposure remained within acceptable limits. Indoor-to-outdoor (I/O) ratios confirmed significant indoor sources of bioaerosols.
Conclusion: Elevated concentrations of bioaerosols in MSW sorting environments pose notable occupational health risks, particularly through chronic bacterial inhalation. These findings underscore the need for improved ventilation, personal protective equipment, and regular bioaerosol monitoring. Incorporating health risk metrics into environmental assessments offers a robust approach to mitigating exposure-related health outcomes in waste management settings.