Assessment of Bioaerosol Distributions in Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Station

Abstract

Operations in municipal solid waste (MSW) management chain are known to generate air pollution, especially with particulate matter. A significant portion of such pollution consists of bioaerosol particles, which potentially are harmful to human health. The presented research has aimed at assessing the emissions and seasonal fluctuations of total particulate matter and bioaerosol generated in MSW transfer facility. Aerosol samples have been collected every two weeks during the warm period of July and September. The samples have been collected by Button sampler on MCE filters. The concentration of total viable microorganisms has been determined by cultivation on Plate Count Agar. It was found that in the immediate vicinity of waste loading operations, the concentration of colony-forming microorganisms has reached 10 ⁵ CFU/m³, while outside the building, the concentration has decreased by a factor of ~10. Both particle and microorganisms concentration indoor/outdoor ratio has revealed high relationship indicating similar transfer mechanisms of particles to the outdoor environment.