Prf Toni Gladding

This proposed three year study aims to address the scientific uncertainties related to health risks from bioaerosols and to provide robust evidence for regulating waste composting to protect human health and the environment. The study will monitor emissions from composting sites, assessing existing measurement methods and developing new, standardised measurement techniques (OU). The study will also try to quantify and map odours generated by the sites, which has never been done before (Cranfield). The monitoring data will be used in three health studies. First, the health of workers on composting sites, who are exposed to the highest levels of bioaerosols, will be examined. Second, rates of hospital admissions and births for all people living close to large composting sites in England and Wales will be compared with people living further away to see if there is an increased risk associated with living near such sites (Imperial). Third, to carry out a stakeholder analysis to examine perceptions of health risks (OU). The aim of the study is to determine health symptoms in relation to exposures from waste composting sites.

The COVID-19 outbreak is transforming everyday household waste into a biohazard. Coronaviruses are transmitted person-to-person, however COVID-19 also persists on surfaces for several days (van Doremalen et al. 2020). Consequently, this pandemic is severely impacting the waste management sector and putting waste workers – key workers in the UK economy – at significant risk. Before the emergence of COVID-19, the fragmented and heavily marketised waste industry was already associated with elevated rates of death and injury compared to other sectors in the UK (HSE 2019). Major changes in global waste trade were also putting pressure on the UK waste infrastructure (Gregson and Crang 2019). This project asks to what extent the UK waste management sector is equipped to meet the challenges generated by this pandemic; what are the vulnerabilities, and how does the fragmentation of the sector affect the ways in which policies and practices can be coordinated?

Preparation and Analysis of 8 Impingers

Our overarching aim is to understand the eco-evolutionary impacts of fungicides on microbial biodiversity in soil, water and air, and how this relates to the rate of emergence of antifungal resistance (AFR). This aim will be achieved through 4 Work Packages (WPs) that span controlled laboratory experiments through to fieldwork in natural, urban and farmed systems.

Sampling for airborne microorganisms downwind of waste management and intensive farming facilities is an area that requires further research – these types of facilities are known to emit bioaerosols of health significance but currently there is a lack of information on the most appropriate sampling techniques, target microorganisms, analytical approaches and the best way in which to achieve an accurate representation of emissions from facilities which recognises their spatial and temporal nature.

This project focuses on detection and characterisation of inflammatory agents in bioaerosol emitted from biowaste and intensive agriculture. It is known that cellular components (e.g. endotoxin and glucan) are emitted by composting and farming. Endotoxin binds to receptors associated with many cell types generating pro-inflammatory cytokines, resulting in inflammatory response in exposed people. Endotoxin has advantages as a bioaerosol metric – it is: • detectable through robust methods • a broad-spectrum indicator of bacterially-derived (Gram negative) bioaerosol • the only bioaerosol component for which an exposure limit to protect the general population is currently realistic. Whilst promising, only a small database exists of endotoxin concentrations around composting / farming facilities and little is known about exposure of the general population (as opposed to occupational exposure). Little knowledge exists on the size fractions that airborne endotoxin is associated with, the relative importance of whole cells (live/dead), vesicles and disrupted fragments, or its dispersion properties. Although robust detection methods exist, there are presently no rapid or continuous detection methods available.

Swabs of a mobile phone, dish cloth, nostril and fingertips will be taken, and the resulting microbial cultures imaged using scanning electron microscopy.