Exposure of sewage treatment workers to Legionella pneumophila and enteric pathogens through aerosols at different sewage treatment installations was quantified in this research.The presence of Legionella sp. and L. pneumophila in water and air samples at different sewage installations was determined by cultivation, Direct Fluorescence Assay and PCR. Simultaneously, coliforms, F-RNA phages and spores of sulphite reducing clostridia (SSRC) were enumerated in water and air. For enteric pathogens, the aerosolization efficiency of coliforms, F-RNA phages and SSRC were combined with published data on the concentration of Campylobacter, enteroviruses and Cryptosporidium parvum, respectively, in wastewater to calculate the concentration of these pathogens in the air. The frequency and duration of the presence of sewage workers at or in the different installations was determined by a questionnaire. The concentration of micro-organisms in the air and the data on the presence of workers at these locations were combined into an estimate of the exposure to Legionella and the enteric pathogens. The calculated concentrations in air ranged from very low (
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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 09/22/2002 Number of Pages: 10File Size: 1 file , 160 KB