Assessment of airborne microorganisms in a swine wastewater treatment plant

Quantification of the airborne microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) at a swine wastewater treatment plant was performed. Microbial samples were collected at three different phases of the treatment process over a 1-yr period. Cultivation methods based on the viable counts of mesophilic heterotrophic bacteria and fungi were performed. The concentrations of airborne bacteria ranged up to about 5 × 10³ colony-forming unit (CFU)/m³, and those of airborne fungi ranged up to about 9 × 10² CFU/m³. The primary treatment (e.g., screen, grit removal, and primary sedimentation) was found to be the major source of airborne microorganisms at the site studied, and higher levels of airborne bacteria and fungi were observed in summer. High levels of the respirable bioaerosol (0.65 to 4.7 μm in size) were detected in the aeration phase. Among the environmental factors studied, temperature was strongly associated with fungal aerosol generation (with a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.90 and p-value <0.01). Occupational biorisks are discussed based on the observed field data.