Exposure of Ardabil Municipal Waste Workers to Bacterial Bio-Aerosols in 2017

Bacterial bio-aerosols are considered to be one of major harmful agent for respiratory tract diseases. It plays an important role in the development of various infections. In this study, we aimed to investigate the exposure of municipal waste workers to the bacterial bio-aerosols in work areas.
This cross-sectional study was carried out among municipal waste workers in Ardabil 2017 of whom 83 persons were randomly selected. ZTHV02 sampler was used to collect a sample from breathing air. The average sampling time was 10 minutes. The collected samples were cultured in agar medium plate containing Cyclohexamide antibiotic after 48 hour's incubation.
Average total concentration of bacterial bio-aerosols in respiratory was 48 CFU/ m3 with a minimum and maximum of 7 and 242 CFU/ m3 respectively. The highest exposure was observed in sanitary workers while those working as a truck driver were at lower risk. The most common bacteria observed in this study were Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus.
Sanitary workers are at risk of high exposure to the bacterial bio-aerosol which can affect their health status.