Estimating Aspergillus fumigatus exposure from outdoor composting activities in England between 2005-14
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Published version
Author(s)
Williams, Ben
Douglas, Philippa
Roca Barcelo, Aina
Hansell, anna
Hayes, Enda
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Bioaerosols, ubiquitous in ambient air, are released in elevated concentrations from composting facilities with open-air processing areas. However, spatial and temporal variability of bioaerosols, particularly in relation to meteorology, is not well understood. Here we model relative concentrations of Aspergillus fumigatus at each postcode-weighted centroid within 4 km of 217 composting facilities in England between 2005 and 2014. Facilities were geocoded with the aid of satellite imagery. Data from existing bioaerosol modelling literature were used to build emission profiles in ADMS. Variation in input parameters between each modelled facility was reduced to a minimum. Meteorological data for each composting facility was derived from the nearest SCAIL-Agriculture validated meteorological station. According to our results, modelled exposure risk was driven primarily by wind speed, direction and time-varying emissions factors incorporating seasonal fluctuations in compostable waste. Modelled A.fumigatus concentrations decreased rapidly from the facility boundary and plateaued beyond 1.5–2.0 km. Where multiple composting facilities were within 4 km of each other, complex exposure risk patterns were evident. More long-term bioaerosol monitoring near facilities is needed to help improve exposure estimation and therefore assessment of any health risks to local populations.
Date Issued
2019-02-01
Date Acceptance
2018-11-28
Citation
Waste Management, 2019, 84, pp.235-244
ISSN
1879-2456
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
235
End Page
244
Journal / Book Title
Waste Management
Volume
84
Copyright Statement
© 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sponsor
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Grant Number
MR/M501669/1
Subjects
ADMS
Aspergillus fumigatus
Bioaerosols
Composting
Modelling
Population exposure
0907 Environmental Engineering
Environmental Sciences
Publication Status
Published