203 Airborne fungi and bacteria in plastic waste plants - occupational exposure

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Abstract Introduction Large amounts of municipal waste are produced every year across the globe, and this amount is projected to reach 3.4 billion tons of annual waste in 2050. Goals from EU state that 55% of municipal waste should be recycled in 2025, 60% in 2030, and 65% in 2035. Municipal waste is sorted and recycled into different fractions, one of which is plastic waste. Methods To assess the occupational exposure of airborne fungi and bacteria, staff members were fitted with an IOM sampler, flowrate of 2.0 L/min during a working shift. Bacteria and fungi from all IOM filters were extracted and plated in serial-dilutions at 25°C and 37°C aerobic or anaerobic, counted after 2, 4, and 7 days. Bacterial and fungal isolates were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Results Very high exposure of fungi were found and few species, were classified in risk group 2 which could cause infections - e.g. Aspergillus terreus, In many areas of the waste plant, very high concentrations of A. fumigatus, A. niger and Penicillium brevicompactum were measured. There was a high concentration of bacteria and endotoxin in the workplace. Discussion The measurements showed that work with recycling plastic generates a lot of fungal spores and bacteria in the work environment. To minimize exposure, ventilation and logistics of the plastic in the company must be improved. Conclusion The measurements showed that there were high concentrations of microorganisms in the workplace that can affect the health of employees.

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