Nwankwo I W, Nwachukwu N C, Onwuchekwa E C, Okamgba O C, Ugbogu O C
Department of Microbiology, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria.
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria.
Access Microbiol. 2025 Jan 21;7(1). doi: 10.1099/acmi.0.000876.v5. eCollection 2025.
Municipal solid waste handling carries occupational risk for waste handlers due to exposure to diverse microorganisms and hazardous substances that cause respiratory and skin infections. A cross-sectional study was carried out, and 150 respondents were recruited using a simple random sampling technique. The sociodemographic characteristics, health-related complaints, health-seeking behaviour and the bacterial and fungal microflora of the respiratory tract and skin of artisanal municipal solid waste handlers and some controls in Aba, Nigeria, were determined using a mixed methods research design, involving the use of interviewer-administered structured questionnaires and conventional culture techniques. We analysed the data using IBM SPSS version 25. The results are presented in tables as frequencies and percentages. The majority of artisanal municipal solid waste handlers in Aba are male (95%). Their mean age is 30 years, and the age group of 21-40 years constitutes the highest proportion (65%) of the workforce. Health-related complaints were higher (95%) among the waste handlers compared to the control subjects (4%). The findings show a high prevalence of respiratory (57%), eye (34%) and skin (87%) complaints among the waste workers, compared to 6%, 0% and 2%, respectively, among the control subjects. Seventy-eight (78%) of the waste handlers indulge in self-medication via over-the-counter (OTC) drugs; 17 (17%) access diagnostic laboratories and only 4 (4%) visit hospitals for treatment, as compared to the control subjects, who recorded 1 (2%) for OTC drugs, 46 (92%) for laboratories and 2 (4 %) for hospitals. Acquisition (15%) and use (3%) of personal protective equipment (PPE) were very low amongst the waste handlers. A total of 704 bacterial isolates and 191 fungal organisms were isolated from the study subjects. Among the waste handlers, the percentage distribution of bacteria was almost the same at both sites: respiratory tract, 241 (49.9%) and skin, 242 (50.1%), compared to the control subjects' respiratory tract, 105 (47.5%) and skin, 116 (52.5%), which showed a slight difference between the sites. (24%) and (13%) were predominant in the respiratory tract, whereas (19%) predominated the skin of the waste handlers. Similarly, (34.3%) and (20.9%) were predominant in the respiratory tract, while (37.9%) and (18.1%) predominated the skin of the control subjects. spp. was the most predominant fungus in the respiratory tract (81.4%) and skin (42.9%) of the waste handlers, as well as in the respiratory tract (85%) and skin (78%) of the controls. The presence of the isolated bacteria and fungi in increased proportions in the waste handlers may be attributed to occupational exposure through direct contact with waste, inhalation of organic dust laden with biological agents and the poor working conditions of the waste handlers. Health education and improvements in working conditions are necessary to mitigate the occupational challenges of waste handlers.
由于接触各种微生物和有害物质，城市固体废物处理给废物处理人员带来职业风险，这些物质会导致呼吸道和皮肤感染。开展了一项横断面研究，采用简单随机抽样技术招募了150名受访者。采用混合方法研究设计，通过访谈员发放的结构化问卷和传统培养技术，确定了尼日利亚阿巴市手工城市固体废物处理人员和一些对照人员的社会人口学特征、与健康相关的投诉、就医行为以及呼吸道和皮肤的细菌和真菌微生物群落。我们使用IBM SPSS 25版对数据进行了分析。结果以频率和百分比的形式列于表格中。阿巴市的大多数手工城市固体废物处理人员为男性(95%)。他们的平均年龄为30岁，21至40岁年龄组占劳动力的比例最高(65%)。与对照人员(4%)相比，废物处理人员中与健康相关的投诉更高(95%)。研究结果显示，废物处理工人中呼吸道(57%)、眼睛(34%)和皮肤(87%)投诉的患病率较高，而对照人员中分别为6%、0%和2%。78名(78%)废物处理人员通过非处方药进行自我治疗；17名(17%)使用诊断实验室，只有4名(4%)前往医院治疗，相比之下，对照人员中，非处方药使用记录为1名(2%)，实验室使用记录为46名(92%)，医院就诊记录为2名(4%)。废物处理人员中个人防护装备(PPE)的购置(15%)和使用(3%)非常低。从研究对象中总共分离出704株细菌菌株和191株真菌生物。在废物处理人员中，两个部位的细菌百分比分布几乎相同：呼吸道为241株(49.9%)，皮肤为242株(50.1%)，而对照人员呼吸道为105株(47.5%)，皮肤为116株(52.5%)，两个部位之间存在细微差异。废物处理人员呼吸道中(24%)和(13%)占主导地位，而皮肤中(19%)占主导地位。同样，对照人员呼吸道中(34.3%)和(20.9%)占主导地位，而皮肤中(37.9%)和(18.1%)占主导地位。在废物处理人员的呼吸道(81.4%)和皮肤(42.9%)以及对照人员的呼吸道(85%)和皮肤(78%)中，spp.是最主要的真菌。废物处理人员中分离出的细菌和真菌比例增加，可能归因于通过直接接触废物、吸入含有生物制剂的有机粉尘以及废物处理人员恶劣的工作条件而导致的职业暴露。开展健康教育和改善工作条件对于减轻废物处理人员的职业挑战很有必要。
