Microbiological and physical characterisation of fungal aerosols emitted at the work station during sorting and recycling of waste

Assessing the risks related to occupational exposure to bioaerosols involves deploying appropriate methods and strategies. Most of the studies for assessing exposure to bioaerosols at the work station in various sectors of occupational activity have been conducted by measuring a limited number of parameters. And yet the composition of the aerosol (nature of the compounds, identity and diversity of the micro-organisms present), the number of microbial entities and the quantity of the microbial compounds that are present, as well as the sizes of the particles carrying those entities, are major determining factors to be taken into account in order to assess such exposure relevantly.

The proposed study aims firstly to determine the composition (biodiversity) and the particle-size distribution of the fungal aerosols emitted during waste sorting and waste recycling activities, and secondly to look for one or more characteristic indictors of the bioaerosols emitted into the air at the work station.
The idea is to develop a measurement strategy making it possible to achieve in-depth characterisation of fungal aerosols at the work station, and to deploy it out in companies. The samples will be taken in several companies of the waste sorting and recycling sector, using conventional methods (three-piece cassette, CIP 10-M personal sampler), cascade impactors, or multi-stage cyclone samplers.
The characterisation will include a study of the biodiversity (molecular inventory of the Eukaryotes and of the Prokaryotes) of the bioaerosols emitted in waste sorting and recycling centres. It will be supplemented by fungal parameter measurements (number of cells, quantification of the ergosterol (using GC/MS), quantification of specific fungal groups (using qPCR), and particle-size distribution) which will be limited to certain work stations or work situations. Real-time measurement of airborne particles will also be performed.
The work should make it possible to determine how relevant each of the microbiological, chemical, and physical indicators are for characterizing fungal aerosols in the investigated sector (diversity, size, density, etc.).

Planned dissemination: publications in a peer-reviewed international journal and in a journal of the Hygiène et Sécurité au Travail (HST) type, presentations at national and international conferences.