About this Research Topic
Bioaerosol pollution emission from the waste management process is one of the most important environmental challenges in many countries. This is a great concern for both workers onsite and the surrounding communities. Emissions from waste management includes, but are not limited to, treatment and disposal of wastewater, municipal solid waste, rural solid waste, livestock, and poultry manure. It has been found that these bioaerosol pollutants can easily move in the air, diffuse to downwind, and have direct or indirect impacts on human health as well as negative effects on the environment. Epidemiological studies also demonstrate that the occurrences of allergy and inflammation diseases are often associated with exposure to the high concentration of bioaerosols during waste management process such as, the infamous sewage worker's syndrome in wastewater treatment plants.
Sewages can contain a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, protozoa and viruses shed with feces. Most of them cause gastrointestinal diseases, but there are also etiological agents of hepatitis, neurological and respiratory diseases. The inhalation of these agents aerosolized from wastewater treatment process, is recognized as an occupational hazard, but the risk for nearby populations cannot be neglected. The epidemiological assessment of the risks that occur during waste management process is very difficult because the same agents can be transmitted in other settings, then the risk assessment can be based on the monitoring of bacteria indicators and (more rarely) index pathogens complemented by air dispersion models and Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment. The health risk and deterioration of environment quality that is associated with waste management process have become of utmost importance over the last several decades.
Therefore, this Research Topic will focus on:
• Bioaerosols in various waste management scenarios;
• Providing emphasis on source apportionment characterization and measurement;
• Understanding air emission release principle, air dispersion model; and
• Health risk assessment approaches in waste management.
Sewages can contain a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, protozoa and viruses shed with feces. Most of them cause gastrointestinal diseases, but there are also etiological agents of hepatitis, neurological and respiratory diseases. The inhalation of these agents aerosolized from wastewater treatment process, is recognized as an occupational hazard, but the risk for nearby populations cannot be neglected. The epidemiological assessment of the risks that occur during waste management process is very difficult because the same agents can be transmitted in other settings, then the risk assessment can be based on the monitoring of bacteria indicators and (more rarely) index pathogens complemented by air dispersion models and Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment. The health risk and deterioration of environment quality that is associated with waste management process have become of utmost importance over the last several decades.
Therefore, this Research Topic will focus on:
• Bioaerosols in various waste management scenarios;
• Providing emphasis on source apportionment characterization and measurement;
• Understanding air emission release principle, air dispersion model; and
• Health risk assessment approaches in waste management.
Keywords: Wastewater treatment, bioaerosol, source apportionment, emission release principle, occupational and public health risk assessment
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