42 / 2025-03-12 12:29:36

Characteristics of bioaerosol emissions from a municipal wastewater treatment plant: Health risk assessment and microbial composition

Wastewater treatment plant; Bioaerosol; Health risk assessment; Pathogenic bacteria

Bioaerosols released from municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) contain pathogenic microorganisms, if dispersed into the atmosphere, which pose potential health risks to humans. In this study, the concentrations and size distribution of bioaerosol, factors on the bioaerosol emission, exposure risk, and microbial composition in different treatment units of a MWWTP were investigated. The results showed that bioaerosol was released to different degrees in each treatment unit, with the concentrations of bioaerosol varied widely, ranging from 978 to 3710 CFU/m³. FG and PST were primary bioaerosol emission sources in MWWTP. The proportion of inhalable particles (< 4.7 μm) ranged from 51.35% to 83.33%, and bioaerosol emitted from WWTP caused a non-carcinogenic risk to children by the exposure risk assessment (HI>1), which need to be paid more attention. Importantly, several pathogenic bacteria including Sphingobium, Brevundimonas, Romboutsia, Arcobacter, Acinetobacter, and Mycobacterium were identified within the airborne bacteria population. Pathogenic bacteria from MWWTP should be studied further to determine their long-term behavior and possible health risks.