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Airborne bacteria and fungi in a wastewater treatment plant: type and characterization of bio-aerosols, emission characterization and mapping

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Abstract

Exposure to bioaerosols causes infection, over-sensitivity, respiratory, and lung diseases. This study was conducted at Sanandaj wastewater treatment plant in three seasons of winter, spring and summer to investigate the type and density of bio-aerosols. Sampling was performed using a sampling pump with a discharge rate of 28.3 L/min at a height of 1.5 m above the ground; the samples were taken from five stations: treatment plant entrance, aeration tank, grit chamber, drying sludge bed and laboratory. At each sampling point, time, temperature, relative humidity (Soleimani et al.), wind speed and particulate matter were recorded. In order to identify the bacteria, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture-based methods were applied. It was also found that there was not a significant relationship between bacterial count and RH, wind direction, wind speed and temperature. Regarding fungi, the results showed that RH and wind direction and wind has a significant relationship with the concentration of fungi. The most predominant bacteria and fungi were as follows: Staphylococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Micrococcus, Enterococcus, Neisseria, Listeria, and Pseudomonas and Penicillium, Aspergillus flavus. The concentration of bacteria in the air was significantly correlated with < 4, < 5, < 7 and < 10 μm suspended particles. However, there was a correlation between particle number of 10 μm and fungi concentration in the air.

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Acknowledgements

This article was extracted from the MSc dissertation of the first author. The authors would like to thank Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences for its financial support provided for this research work (IR.MUK.REC.1397/164).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

    Hanna Jari

  2. Environmental Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

    Afshin Maleki, Saeed Dehestani Athar, Ebrahim Mohammadi & Ebrahim Darvishi

  3. Liver and Digestive Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

    Manouchehr Ahmadi Hedayati

  4. Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy, Max-Eyth-Allee 100, 14469, Potsdam-Bornim, Germany

    Nader Marzban

  5. Green Technology and Sustainable Development in Construction Research Group, Van Lang school of Engineering and Technology, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Van Tai Tang

  6. Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

    Bejan Nouri

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  1. Hanna Jari
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  2. Afshin Maleki
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Correspondence to Afshin Maleki.

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Jari, H., Maleki, A., Dehestani Athar, S. et al. Airborne bacteria and fungi in a wastewater treatment plant: type and characterization of bio-aerosols, emission characterization and mapping. Aerobiologia 38, 163–176 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-022-09740-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-022-09740-z

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