A new combination of microbial indicators for monitoring composting bioaerosols

Abstract

Bioaerosols emitted from composting plants are a cause of concern because of their potential impact on occupational health and neighboring residential areas. The aim of this study was to identify microbial indicators that are most useful for monitoring bioaerosol emittance and dispersal by industrial composting plants. Seven microbial indicators were measured in air collected outdoors in natural environments and at eleven composting plants. The indicators were: cultivable bacteria and fungi, total bacteria (epifluorescent microscopy), viable bacteria (solid-phase cytometry) and quantification by qPCR of three microbial indicators which had been previously shown as strongly associated with composting. For each indicator, the increase in concentrations due to the turning of composting piles as compared to the background concentration obtained in natural environments and upwind of composting plants was determined. Based on these results, the most effective combination of three indicators was selected for monitoring composting bioaerosol emissions: viable bacteria as one general indicator of bioaerosol emission and two bacterial phylotypes specific to composting bioaerosol: NA07, affiliated to Saccharopolyspora sp. and NC38, affiliated to the Thermoactinomycetaceae. This set of indicator was then quantified on-site and at increasing distances downwind during the turning of compost windrows in thermophilic phase. Composting activity was considered to affect bioaerosol emission when the concentrations of the three indicators were higher than their respective background levels. For all the composting sites studied, an impact was measureable up to distances of 100 m. Further away, the impact was not systematically observed as it depended on meteorological conditions (wind speed) and on levels of bioaerosol emissions.