Distribution, characterization and health risk assessment of size fractionated bioaerosols at an open landfill site in Dehradun, India

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Open landfilling is a common practice of waste dumping in developing countries, generating a range of environmentaland public health hazards. In this study, we determined the distribution, composition and exposurerisk of the size-segregated fungal and bacterial bioaerosols in an open landfill site in Dehradun, India. Bioaerosoland particulate matter (PM) measurements were carried out using a six-stage viable Andersen Cascade Impactorand a Wide Range Aerosol Spectrometer, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine therelation of bioaerosol concentration with meteorological parameters and PM. The mean concentration of fungaland bacterial aerosols was observed to be 4582.75 ± 1358.25 CFU/m3 and 3609.53 ± 1000.28 CFU/m3, respectively.The bioaerosol composition showed the predominance of potential pathogens including Aspergillus(25.42%), Penicillium (20.34%), Cladosporium (15.25%), Alternaria (13.56%); and gram-negative Bacillus(21.15%), Streptobacillus (17.31%), Coccus (13.46%). Also, an inhalation risk assessment was conducted for theage-specific predictions of bioaerosol and PM deposition in human airways using a multiple path particle dosimetrymodel. For bioaerosols, maximum submicron depositions in the pulmonary region were observed inadults, while for PM, in children and infants. Finally, to identify the bioaerosol exposure caused respiratorydisorders, a questionnaire-based health survey was conducted among the exposed population around the landfillsite. The chi-square test showed significantly higher respiratory complaints in females for cold, cough, chest painand chest tightness than in males. This work highlights the role of bioaerosols and PM in human health disordersin occupational environments associated with waste management.