Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research

Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research

Bioaerosol Exposure and Health Risk Assessment at a Municipal Material Recovery Facility in Arak, Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ali Koolivand 1, 2
Maryam Zafari 3
Seyed Hamed Mirhoseini 1, 2
1 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
2 Environmental and Industrial Pollutants Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
3 Students Research Committee, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
10.34172/jaehr.1442
Abstract
Introduction: Municipal solid waste (MSW) sorting facilities are sources of airborne biological contaminants. Occupational exposure to bioaerosols, including bacteria and fungi, poses potential health risks for waste workers, especially in poorly ventilated, high-activity areas. 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: Between April and May 2024, 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 levels of bioaerosols. 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: This study emphasizes the importance of improved ventilation, personal protective equipment, and bioaerosol monitoring. Also, utilizing health risk assessments to environmental analysis is a key strategy for minimizing health risks associated with exposure in the waste management industry.
Keywords
Bioaerosols
Municipal solid waste
Health risk assessment
Bacteria
Fungi
Inhalation exposure
Occupational health
Subjects
1.       Madhwal S, Prabhu V, Sundriyal S, Shridhar V. Distribution, characterization and health risk assessment of size fractionated bioaerosols at an open landfill site in Dehradun, India. Atmos Pollut Res 2020;11(1):156-69. doi:10.1016/j.apr.2019.10.002
2.       Raza ST, Hafeez S, Ali Z, Nasir ZA, Butt MM, Saleem I, et al. An assessment of air quality within facilities of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) sites in Lahore, Pakistan. Processes 2021;9(9):1604. doi:10.3390/pr9091604
3.       Ghanbarian M, Ghanbarian M, Ghanbarian M, Mahvi AH, Hosseini M. Determination of bacterial and fungal bioaerosols in municipal solid-waste processing facilities of Tehran. J Environ Health Sci Eng 2020;18(2):865-72. doi:10.1007/s40201-020-00510-y
4.       Madsen AM, Frederiksen MW, Mahmoud Kurdi I, Sommer S, Flensmark E, Tendal K. Expanded cardboard waste sorting and occupational exposure to microbial species. Waste Manag 2019;87:345-56. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2019.02.018
5.       Wikuats CF, Duarte EH, Prates K, Janiaski LL, de Oliveira Gabriel B, da Cunha Molina A, et al. Assessment of airborne particles and bioaerosols concentrations in a waste recycling environment in Brazil. Sci Rep 2020;10(1):14812. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-71787-0
6.       Ma J, Han Y, Li L, Liu J. Distribution Characteristics and Potential Risks of Bioaerosol in Waste Transfer Station. 2022. Available from: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4165596.
7.       Akpeimeh GF, Fletcher LA, Evans BE, Ibanga IE. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) of workers exposure to bioaerosols at MSW open dumpsites. Risk Anal 2021;41(10):1911-24. doi:10.1111/risa.13670
8.       Nair AT. Bioaerosols in the landfill environment: an overview of microbial diversity and potential health hazards. Aerobiologia (Bologna) 2021;37(2):185-203. doi:10.1007/s10453-021-09693-9
9.       Norouzian Baghani A, Sorooshian A, Delikhoon M, Nabizadeh R, Nazmara S, Bakhtiari R. Pollution characteristics and noncarcinogenic risk assessment of fungal bioaerosol in different processing units of waste paper and cardboard recycling factory. Toxin Revi 2021;40(4):752-63. doi:10.1080/15569543.2020.1769135
10.   Viegas C, Gomes AQ, Abegão J, Sabino R, Graça T, Viegas S. Assessment of fungal contamination in waste sorting and incineration-case study in Portugal. J Toxicol Environ Health A 2014;77(1-3):57-68. doi:10.1080/15287394.2014.865583
11.   Douwes J, Thorne P, Pearce N, Heederik D. Bioaerosol health effects and exposure assessment: progress and prospects. Ann Occup Hyg 2003;47(3):187-200. doi:10.1093/annhyg/meg032
12.   Schlosser O. Bioaerosols and health: current knowledge and gaps in the field of waste management. Detritus 2019;5:111-25. doi:10.31025/2611-4135/2019.13786
13.   Domingo JL, Nadal M. Domestic waste composting facilities: a review of human health risks. Environ Int 2009;35(2):382-9. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2008.07.004
14.   Roodbari A, Naddafi K, Javid A. Measurements of bioaerosols in the air around the facilities of waste collection and disposal. Environ Prot Eng 2013;39(4):105-12. doi:10.5277/epe130409
15.   Mirhoseini SH, Koolivand A, Bayani M, Sarlak H, Moradzadeh R, Ghamari F, et al. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of microbial aerosols in different indoor environments of a dental school clinic. Aerobiologia (Bologna) 2021;37(2):217-24. doi:10.1007/s10453-020-09679-z
16.   Vilavert L, Nadal M, Inza I, Figueras MJ, Domingo JL. Baseline levels of bioaerosols and volatile organic compounds around a municipal waste incinerator prior to the construction of a mechanical-biological treatment plant. Waste Manag 2009;29(9):2454-61. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2009.03.012
17.   Hryhorczuk D, Curtis L, Scheff P, Chung J, Rizzo M, Lewis C, et al. Bioaerosol emissions from a suburban yard waste composting facility. Ann Agric Environ Med 2001;8(2):177-85.
18.   Yang Y, Zhang R, Lou Z. Bioaerosol emissions variations in large-scale landfill region and their health risk impacts. Front Environ Sci Eng 2022;16(12):158. doi:10.1007/s11783-022-1593-9
19.   Kaźmierczuk M, Bojanowicz-Bablok A. Bioaerosol concentration in the air surrounding municipal solid waste landfill. Environmental Protection and Natural Resources 2014;25(2):17-25. doi:10.2478/oszn-2014-0015
20.   Ghobakhloo S, Mostafaii GR, Khoshakhlagh AH, Moda HM, Gruszecka-Kosowska A. Health risk assessment of heavy metals in exposed workers of municipal waste recycling facility in Iran. Chemosphere 2024;346:140627. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140627
21.   Madsen AM, Rasmussen PU, Frederiksen MW. Fungal and bacterial species on biowaste workers' hands and inhalation zone, and potential airway deposition. Waste Manag 2024;183:290-301. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2024.05.018
22.   Hamoda MF, Mahmoud H. Microbiological characteristics of indoor air bioaerosols in a waste paper recycling factory. Int J Environ Sci Technol 2019;16(6):2601-10. doi:10.1007/s13762-018-1694-y
23.   Lavoie J, Guertin S. Evaluation of health and safety risks in municipal solid waste recycling plants. J Air Waste Manag Assoc 2001;51(3):352-60. doi:10.1080/10473289.2001.10464278
24.   Madureira J, Aguiar L, Pereira C, Mendes A, Querido MM, Neves P, et al. Indoor exposure to bioaerosol particles: levels and implications for inhalation dose rates in schoolchildren. Air Qual Atmos Health 2018;11(8):955-64. doi:10.1007/s11869-018-0599-8
25.   Brągoszewska E. Exposure to bacterial and fungal aerosols: microorganism indices in a waste-sorting plant in Poland. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019;16(18):3308. doi:10.3390/ijerph16183308
26.   Park D, Lee K, Ryu S, Kim S, Yoon C, Ha K. Characteristics of particulate matter generated while handling municipal household waste. J Occup Health 2013;55(6):503-10. doi:10.1539/joh.13-0166-fs
27.   Wikuats CF, da Silva I, Prates K, da Silva JC, Duarte EH, de Matos Castro e Silva D, et al. Health symptoms and inflammatory blood biomarkers from exposure of recyclable waste workers to particulate matter and bioaerosols. Atmos Pollut Res 2022;13(2):101323. doi:10.1016/j.apr.2022.101323
28.   Karthikeyan OP, Murugesan S, Joseph K, Philip L. Characterization of particulate matters and volatile organic compounds in the ambient environment of open dump sites. Univers J Environ Res Technol 2011;1(2):140-50.
29.   Marcelloni AM, Pigini D, Chiominto A, Gioffrè A, Paba E. Exposure to airborne mycotoxins: the riskiest working environments and tasks. Ann Work Expo Health 2024;68(1):19-35. doi:10.1093/annweh/wxad070
30.   Hung CS, Yiin LM, Yen CF, Hsieh CJ, Hsieh JG, Tseng CC. Status of resource recycling stations in Taiwan and recycling work-related health effects. Tzu Chi Med J 2023;35(1):38-43. doi:10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_111_22
31.   Agarwal S, Mandal P, Srivastava A. Quantification and characterization of size-segregated bioaerosols at municipal solid waste dumping site in Delhi. Procedia Environ Sci 2016;35:400-7. doi:10.1016/j.proenv.2016.07.021
32.   Pahari AK, Dasgupta D, Patil RS, Mukherji S. Emission of bacterial bioaerosols from a composting facility in Maharashtra, India. Waste Manag 2016;53:22-31. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2016.04.027
Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research
Volume 14, Issue 1
Winter 2026
Pages 56-63