Microbial Risk Assessment of Bioaerosols in Wastewater Treatment Plants

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water and One Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2023) | Viewed by 1195

Special Issue Editors

Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: bioaerosol; bioaerosol sensor; airborne microorganisms and biological particles; bio-fluorophore particles; laser induced fluorescence; microbiological contamination in environments; assessment and methodology; public and human health; quantitative microbial risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
Interests: emission characteristics and formation mechanism of microbial aerosols in sewage treatment process; aerosol diffusion model; exposure risk assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Air aeration and mechanical agitation operations are the most important approaches to biological treatment in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, they produce numerous bioaerosols that harbor pathogens. These bioaerosols are mainly ingested through the pharynx or nares and can cause a range of adverse health effects, such as sewage worker's syndrome. Therefore, bioaerosol risk characteristics and measures to reduce their risk in WWTPs have attracted increasing attention.

Microbial risk assessment is a framework intended for the quantitative estimation of health risks in occupational exposure scenarios. It is carried out as follows: (i) hazard identification, (ii) exposure assessment, (iii) dose–response assessment, and (iv) risk characterization.

The Special Issue is now open for submissions. The findings presented in this Special Issue could contribute toward the establishment of mitigation measures and control strategies for the management of public health risks from the exposure to bioaerosols in local utilities.

Dr. Cheng Yan
Dr. Yanjie Wang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • bioaerosols
  • health risk
  • wastewater treatment plant
  • exposure assessment
  • dose–response model
  • risk characterization
  • risk assessment

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

23 pages, 2171 KiB  
Review
Bioaerosols in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Trends, Recent Advances, and the Influence of SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak
by Raisa Jabeen, Mahmoud E. Ahmed, Mohamed A. Hamouda and Ashraf Aly Hassan
Water 2023, 15(24), 4208; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15244208 - 06 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 938
Abstract
Bioaerosol emission at various WWTP treatment units has drawn attention due to their potential negative impacts on human health. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of the global research on bioaerosol emissions from WWTPs from 1995 to 2022. The Scopus database was used [...] Read more.
Bioaerosol emission at various WWTP treatment units has drawn attention due to their potential negative impacts on human health. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of the global research on bioaerosol emissions from WWTPs from 1995 to 2022. The Scopus database was used to identify relevant articles and research trends, major contributors in the field, and recent developments. The study examined 122 articles in the field of bioaerosols in WWTPs. The analysis findings showed that publications and citations peaked in 2022, with values of 25 and 818, respectively. At the beginning of the study period, the USA, Poland, and Italy led the publications’ ranking, but with time, China emerged as the most influential country in the field. Recent advances in the field have revealed that spectral intensity bioaerosol sensors have contributed to the faster and more reliable identification and classification of bioaerosols. It was also observed that probabilistic techniques relying on mathematical models and assumptions to ascertain the risks associated with bioaerosols may result in false interpretations. Despite their high cost, epidemiological studies were best for assessing plant workers’ health risks. The outbreak has raised questions about accurately evaluating and modeling SARS-CoV-2 persistence, infectivity, and aerosolization over WWTP sites and environmental factors. Finally, the study highlighted the potential of three control treatment approaches: carbon absorption, UV irradiation, and ozone treatments, which proved efficient in reducing bioaerosol emissions. Full article
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