Ncube France, Ncube Esper Jacobeth, Voyi Kuku
School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
J Environ Public Health. 2017;2017:3081638. doi: 10.1155/2017/3081638. Epub 2017 Jan 12.
Few studies have investigated the occupational hazards of municipal solid waste workers, particularly in developing countries. Resultantly these workers are currently exposed to unknown and unabated occupational hazards that may endanger their health. We determined municipal solid waste workers' work related hazards and associated adverse health endpoints. A multifaceted approach was utilised comprising bioaerosols sampling, occupational noise, thermal conditions measurement, and field based waste compositional analysis. Results from our current study showed highest exposure concentrations for Gram-negative bacteria (6.8 × 10 cfu/m) and fungi (12.8 × 10 cfu/m), in the truck cabins. Significant proportions of toxic, infectious, and surgical waste were observed. Conclusively, municipal solid waste workers are exposed to diverse work related risks requiring urgent sound interventions. A framework for assessing occupational risks of these workers must prioritize performance of exposure assessment with regard to the physical, biological, and chemical hazards of the job.
很少有研究调查城市固体废弃物处理工人面临的职业危害，尤其是在发展中国家。因此，这些工人目前正暴露于未知且未得到缓解的职业危害中，这可能会危及他们的健康。我们确定了城市固体废弃物处理工人与工作相关的危害以及相关的不良健康终点。采用了多方面的方法，包括生物气溶胶采样、职业噪声、热环境测量以及基于现场的垃圾成分分析。我们当前研究的结果表明，在卡车驾驶室内，革兰氏阴性菌（6.8×10 cfu/m）和真菌（12.8×10 cfu/m）的暴露浓度最高。观察到有毒、传染性和手术废弃物的比例很高。总之，城市固体废弃物处理工人面临各种与工作相关的风险，需要立即采取合理的干预措施。评估这些工人职业风险的框架必须优先考虑针对工作中的物理、生物和化学危害进行暴露评估。
