ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Wastewater Treatment Plants as a Source
of Bioaerosols
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Poznan University of Technology, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Poznań, Poland
Submission date: 2017-12-28
Final revision date: 2018-03-06
Acceptance date: 2018-04-19
Online publication date: 2019-01-02
Publication date: 2019-03-01
Corresponding author
Michał Michałkiewicz
Institute of Environmental Engineering, Poznań University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, 60-965 Poznań, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2019;28(4):2261-2271
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ABSTRACT
This study presents the results of bioaerosol analyses conducted in the area of 9 wastewater
treatment plants (WTTPs) in the Wielkopolska Region (Poland) with different capacities (from
500 to 200,000 m3/day). The abundance of mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria, Staphylococcus,
Actinobacteria, Pseudomonas fluorescens, coliform bacteria, and microscopic fungi in different
plant sites and the control site were analysed. Microscopic fungi exhibited the highest contribution
to air contamination and their highest median value was found in WWTP No. 5, which reached
6,700 colony forming units (CFU/m3) of air. Psychrophiles and mesophiles were the most
abundant bacterial groups. It was established that the highest concentration of bioaerosols was observed
during the mechanical treatment of wastewater at sewage sludge treatment sites and near bioreactors.
The Rav parameter, which represents the ratio of average annual microbial abundance in the air to
the average annual microbial abundance in the background at the control site, was a very good
indicator of air contamination rate. This parameter may be analysed with respect to bacteria (Rav B),
microscopic fungi (Rav F), and all microorganisms (Rav M).