Browsing by Author "Piedade, Karen Simone Mota"
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- Occupational risk assessment of waste workers' exposure to bacterial load in waste management industryPublication . Piedade, Karen Simone Mota; Viegas, CarlaABSTRACT - The waste management industry comprises all industrial activities related to waste management, waste dumping, waste recycling, and waste minimization. Many, if not all, activities carried out during waste management result in the emission and release of hazardous substances such as bioaerosols, therefore posing any health risks to the workers that are directly involved with such activities. Bioaerosol is a viable vehicle of exposure to many pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria and endotoxins and it has been associated with many adverse health effects, mainly affecting the respiratory system. The aim of the present study was to examine and quantify waste collectors’ occupational exposure to inhalable bacterial burden during waste management activities using active and passive sampling approaches. Hence, 16 cabin ventilation filters and 25 air samples (SASS filters) were collected for risk assessment through culture-based methods for the bacterial count. TSA and VRBA were the selected culture medium to assess cell viability and culturability. Results revealed an increased total bacterial count in TSA, in both matrices compared to Gram-negative bacteria in VRBA. Further analysis of results showed the possible expected microbial burden of waste workers when performing labor activities, by comparing long-term and short-term exposure. Workers should be properly educated and informed about the results to induce behavior changes for hygienic measures compliance.