Sewage Workers Research Articles

Bioaerosols emission from source facilities in a wastewater treatment plant: Critical exposure time and sensitivity analysis

Overexposure of sewage workers to bioaerosol released from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can cause serious infections, but practical method for controlling their health risk is lacking. In this study, reverse quantitative microbial risk assessment was used to estimate the daily critical exposure time (CET) of sewage workers exposing to Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosol emitted by three emission sources facilities in a WWTP based on either U.S. EPA or WHO benchmark, and sensitivity analysis was conducted to analyze the influence of various parameters on the outcomes of CET. The results showed that the CET of females was always 1.12–1.29 times that of males. In addition, the CET after wearing face masks was 28.28–52.37 times as long as before. The working time can be determined based on the CET results of male workers wearing face masks exposed to the inverted-umbrella aeration tank (14.73–550.98 min for U.S. EPA benchmark and 55.07–1972.24 min for WHO benchmark). In each scenario, the variable parameter exposure concentration (ec) always showed the most influence on the CET results. After wearing the face masks, the removal fraction by employing face masks also had a significant effect on the results, only second to ec. Therefore, the wearing of face mask is the most convenient and effective measure to prolong the CET. Furthermore, practical methods to reducing bioaerosol concentration in WWTPs exposure are also necessary to extend CET and safeguard worker health. This study enriches the application range of reverse quantitative microbial risk assessment framework and provides theoretical support for stakeholders to establish reasonable working time threshold guidelines, and practical method and novel perspective to protect the on-site health risks of sewage workers exposing to various facilities.

Temporal geographies of premature death: Caste, law, and infrastructure in Swachh Bharat

Why do sewage and manual cleaning workers, who mostly belong to Dalit communities, die prematurely? In answering this question, I argue that the mutually reinforcing relationship between law and infrastructure enables their premature deaths. The gaps in law and those in urban sanitation infrastructure in India, combined with deeply entrenched Caste ethos, and the commodification of cleanliness, create conditions where the deaths of sewage workers are a regular occurrence. I situate deaths of sewage workers within the Clean India Campaign, a government program for clean public infrastructure and managing fecal matter to posit that the relentless pursuit of cleanliness results in its commodification, which in turn exacerbates the exploitation of the sewage cleaning workers.Using a theoretical lens drawn from Black studies and Dalit-Bahujan scholarship, I demonstrate that the temporality of law and infrastructure makes the cleaning workers invisible to the planners and implementers of the Clean India Campaign. Under such conditions, the cleaning workers gain recognition from law only when they die. Their appalling working conditions and the near absence of workplace protections hardly get any attention. It is only when they die that the law recognizes their personhood. I draw attention to how law and infrastructure influence each other and contribute to Black Studies and Dalit Studies by framing caste as racializing assemblages—contextualizing the temporal geographies of premature death and the role of infrastructures as an assemblage.

Global prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sanitary workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Objectives. Sanitary workers are more likely to experience musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to a lack of ergonomics principles and poor job design. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify MSDs among sanitary workers. Methods. The PRISMA and PICOS protocols were used for flow diagrams and review questions, respectively. Articles published between 2000 and 2022 were eligible. The keywords ‘(Musculoskeletal Disorders) AND (Solid waste collectors *OR Street sweepers *OR Sewage workers *OR health facilities cleaners)’ and MeSH terms were utilized. The data were analyzed using STATA version 17 with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results. A total of 158 papers were qualified, with 26 studies from 17 countries and a total of 6586 sanitary workers. The global prevalence of MSDs among sanitation workers was 40.52% (95% CI [32.47, 48.67]; p < 0.05). It was 43.32% (95% CI [31.98, 54.68]; p < 0.05) in high-income countries and 38.58% (95% CI [26.94, 50.18]; p < 0.05) in low-income countries. By subgroup analysis, it was 45.12% (95% CI [32.57, 57.67]; p < 0.05) for solid waste collectors, which is the highest prevalence among other workers. Conclusion. Current evidence shows that sanitation workers have a higher prevalence of occupationally associated MSDs, which might be lowered by using ergonomic work design principles.

Prevalence and Determinants of Occupational Health Hazards among Sewage Workers in EL-Beheira Governorate

Prevalence and Determinants of Occupational Health Hazards among Sewage Workers in EL-Beheira Governorate

When Broken Worlds Churn: The Anti‐Caste Fabulations of Du Saraswathi

AbstractHow can literary fabulation prompt a reflection on caste, colonial, and capitalist lifeworlds? Engaging with two short stories by the Dalit feminist thinker Du Saraswathi, this article considers the role of fabulation in sparking anti‐caste praxis, decolonial thought, and a reflection on ecological interdependence. Bacchisu (“Tip”) and Honnahelu (“Shit and Gold”) are penned in the context of the sanitation workers’ movement in Karnataka, India and the ongoing struggles of waste workers to assert the dignity of their labour and their ancestral relations. Both stories capture the intimate worlds of solid waste and sewage workers, overwhelmingly from Dalit (ex‐untouchable) communities, as they navigate capitalist debris and the brokenness of caste society. They archive relations between caste overseers and contractual workers, the police and local bureaucracy, and peri‐urban ecologies. Saraswathi's writings explore such political concerns in ways that exceed the circumscribed realism of caste society—mingling Dalit culinary practices, embodied desires, rhythms of collective protest, rapturous encounters with spiritual beings, colonial legacies, and reproductive futures. In a context where Dalit testimonies are doubly silenced by the evidentiary procedures of postcolonial law and retributive violence, how can fabulation bear witness to an anti‐caste reality that integrates spiritual, ecological, and political struggles?

A cross-sectional study of sensory-motor neuropsychological function among sewage plant and sewage net workers exposed to hydrogen sulphide when handling wastewater.

Workers at sewage treatment plants are exposed to a complex mixture of toxins, including hydrogen sulphide (H2S). An issue of concern among sewage workers, is possible negative nervous system effects from low-level H2S exposure. Empirical neuropsychological evidence indicates both that low-dose exposure to H2S exposure affects the nervous system, and the contrary, that such exposure may facilitate nervous system function, since H2S is an endogenously produced central nervous system (CNS) gasotransmitter. The aim of this study is to describe a possible association between the H2S component of the total exposure and long-term effects on neuropsychological motor function among wastewater workers. Workers (N = 138) treating wastewater in 6 sewage-treatment plants, or in the sewer net system participated in a cross-sectional study. H2S exposure was expressed in a dichotomous exposure variable defining currently H2S-exposed (N = 112) and unexposed referent workers (N = 26), and a variable defining a job-exposure matrix for long-term total typical workplace H2S exposure. The participants went through neuropsychological tests for hand coordination, reaction time (SRT), and balance, and completed questionnaires. Pearson chi-square test or independent samples t-test was used when comparing the currently H2S-exposed workers with the unexposed control group. Multiple linear regression was used to assess associations between the independent variables age, smoking and exposure variables, and the neuropsychological tests. The analyses indicate increased SRT in the currently H2S-exposed group compared to controls (mean [SD] = 225.8 [29.9] versus 210.7 [26.3] ms, P = 0.019), and an association between increased SRT and current H2S-exposure in the total study sample (β = 14.7, P = 0.026, R2 = 0.06, P = 0.050). Blindfolded balance testing indicates a nonsignificant trend in the total study sample, of reduced balance in the highest versus lowest H2S total long-term exposure-index group (Sway area [mean {SD}, mm2: 702 [410] versus 581 [278]), and a significant association between total long-term H2S exposure and reduced balance among smokers (Sway area, mm2 [β = 38.7, P = 0.039], mean sway, mm [β = 0.3, P = 0.015]). The observed trends and associations may be due to exposure peaks in certain work operations and pinpoint the importance of minimizing and avoiding exposure peaks, also when H2S time-weighted average measurements do not exceed an occupational exposure limit of 5 ppm.

Sero-prevalence of hepatitis viral infections among sanitary workers across worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundSanitation or sanitary workers are exposed to hepatitis virus infections because of filthy and dangerous working conditions. The current global systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled sero-prevalence of occupationally associated hepatitis virus infection among them.MethodsPreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA), and Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome and study design (PICOS) were used for flow diagram, and review questions, respectively. Four databases other methods were used published articles from 2000 to 2022. Boolean logic (AND, OR), MeSH, and keywords were used: (Occupation *OR Job *OR Work) AND (Hepatitis A *OR Hepatitis B virus *OR Hepatitis C virus *OR Hepatitis E virus) AND (Solid waste collectors [SWCs] *OR Street sweepers [SS] *OR Sewage workers [STWs] *OR health care facilities cleaners [HCFCs)) AND (Countries). Stata MP/17 software was used for pooled prevalence analysis, meta-regression analysis (Hedges) at a 95% confidence interval (CI:95%).ResultsA total of 182 studies were identified studies, a total of 28 studies were included from twelve countries. Of these, from developed (n = 7) and developing countries (n = 5). From total a of 9049 sanitary workers, 5951(66%), 2280 (25%) and 818 (9%) were STWs, SWCs and SS, respectively. Globally, the pooled sero-prevalence of occupational-related hepatitis viral infections among sanitary workers was 38.06% (95% CI: 30–0.46.12). Of this, it was 42.96% (95% CI: 32.63–53.29) and 29.81% (95% CI: 17.59–42.02) for high-income and low-income countries, respectively. Meanwhile, by sub-analysis, the highest pooled sero-prevalence of hepatitis viral infections by categories, type and year were 47.66% (95%CI: 37.42–57.90), 48.45% (95% CI: 37.95–58.96), and 48.30% (95% CI: 36.13–60.47) for SWTs, HAV, and 2000 to 2010 year, respectively.ConclusionThe consistency of the evidence suggests that sanitation workers, particularly sewage workers, are susceptible to occupationally acquired hepatitis regardless of their working conditions, necessitating significant changes to occupational health and safety regulations from governmental policies and other initiatives to reduce risks among sanitary workers.

IoT Based Monitoring and Alert System for Sewage Worker’s Safety

Sewage system maintenance is a cumbersome task that has to be carried out properly since it is inevitable. Fatality occurs every year due to improper and inadequate facilities available as well as dangerous gases emitted during sewage disposal. Sewage workers are unaware of the dangers posed by a sudden attack of poisonous gases since these gases are odourless and if exposed for a prolonged period of time might lead to respiratory issues. To deal with this issue, an effective sewage monitoring and alert system is required. The proposed project continuously monitors the poisonous gases and oxygen present in sewage as well as the sanitation workers' health. This effectively reduces the impact of the poisonous gases on the sewage worker.

Smart Safety Monitoring System for Sewage Workers

Most of the cities adopted the underground drainage system and it’s the duty of Municipal Corporation to maintain cleanliness, healthy and safety of cities. If the drainage system is not properly managed then pure water gets contaminate with drainage water and infectious diseases may get spread. Drainage cleaning people are not aware of risk by sudden attack of poisonous gas since the gases are odorless if exposed for long time which may cause serious health problems. Due to the lack of using proper gas leakage detection system, a number of dangerous accidents occurred during the last few decades. To overcome all these problems effective monitoring system is needed in the drainage channels. The detected system is proposed with gas sensors like Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen sulphide sensors and Methane, one Heart Beat sensor used to calculate the pulse rate of Human. Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen sulphide, Methane gases are highly toxic to human hence the proposed system will gives alert through the LCD Display after reaching the threshold level of each gas sensors then people gets alerts Heart Beat sensor will calculate the range of the Pulse rate then output at the abnormal range will give alert through notification through an IOT.

CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES ON LEPTOSPIROSIS IN CHILDREN 2019

Leptospirosis is a disease prevalent mostly in tropical and subtropical countries. Its potential to be a concerning problem emerges with the onset of the rainy season, as flooding and heavy rainfall facilitate disease epidemics. Among those at risk of contracting the disease are field workers, veterinarians, sewer workers, military personnel and those who swim or wade in contaminated waters. In the absence of an existing evidence-based guideline for the pediatric age group, this first edition hopes to standardize approach to diagnosis, antibiotic management, and prevention of leptospirosis. The intended users are primary care physicians, family medicine physicians, pediatricians, and other healthcare workers involved in the management of leptospirosis in children. Ten priority questions were identified by a group of experts composed of an oversight committee, a guideline writing panel, and a technical review committee. The GRADE methodology was used to determine the quality of evidence of each recommendation. The draft recommendations (summarized below) were finalized after these were presented to and voted on by a panel of stakeholders.

Urban flooding and risk of leptospirosis; Pakistan on the verge of a new disaster: A call for action.

Leptospirosis is an overlooked zoonotic and waterborne disease that is emerging as a global public threat due to morbidity and mortality observed in both animals and humans. The outbreaks are typically related to floods and hurricanes following monsoon rains, during which Leptospiras are washed off in contaminated soil and often settle in water bodies. Wildlife trapping for scientific purposes, industrial animal employment, water-intensive crop farming, sewage work, and open-water swimming are one of the major risk factors contributing to the rapid spread of disease. Occasionally, outbreaks are linked to higher-than-average precipitation and exposure to contaminated floodwaters that may have contributed to a sudden spike in leptospirosis cases in New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Tanzania. This amplifies the risk of leptospirosis in Pakistan and other nations with urban floods. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to address this health emergency considering the recent surge in leptospirosis cases.

Detection and characterization of bioaerosol emissions from wastewater treatment plants: Challenges and opportunities.

Rapid population growth and urbanization process have led to increasing demand for wastewater treatment capacity resulting in a non-negligible increase of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in several cities around the world. Bioaerosol emissions from WWTPs may pose adverse health risks to the sewage workers and nearby residents, which raises increasing public health concerns. However, there are still significant knowledge gaps on the interplay between process-based bioaerosol characteristics and exposures and the quantification of health risk which limit our ability to design effective risk assessment and management strategies. This review provides a critical overview of the existing knowledge of bioaerosol emissions from WWTPs including their nature, magnitude and size distribution, and highlights the shortcoming associated with existing sampling and analysis methods. The recent advancements made for rapid detection of bioaerosols are then discussed, especially the emerging real time detection methods to highlight the directions for future research needs to advance the knowledge on bioaerosol emissions from WWTPs.

Effect of Supportive Information Regarding Water-Related Diseases Health Risks Prevention among Fayoum City Sewage Workers

Effect of Supportive Information Regarding Water-Related Diseases Health Risks Prevention among Fayoum City Sewage Workers

S3094 Leptospirosis-Induced Acute Liver Injury

Introduction: Weil’s disease (Leptospirosis) is a relatively common worldwide zoonotic infection due to Leptospira spp. However, leptospirosis is underreported due to its low incidence in the United States and its variable presentation. Furthermore, leptospirosis-induced acute hepatic injury is extremely rare. The purpose of this case report to enlighten urban practitioners to consider testing for leptospirosis in patients with acute liver injury. We are reporting a rare case of leptospirosis induced acute liver injury. Case Description/Methods: A 38 year-old-male with no past medical history presented with 6-day history of fever, abdominal pain, N/V, fatigue and myalgia. On presentation patient was vitally stable, physical exam, ill appearing man with icterus sclera, mild tenderness in RUQ abdomen. Labs: WBC 14.16, ALT 181, AST 232, Bilirubin 7.5 (direct bilirubin 6.2), platelets 41, INR 1.13, aPTT 19.7, BUN 33, Cr 3.41, GFR 21.6, CT abdomen revealed hepatic steatosis and hepatomegaly. Extensive hepatic and sepsis work up sent and patient was started on vancomycin, piperacillin/tazobactam. For next 4 days, WBC 25.22, Bilirubin 18, (direct bilirubin >10.0) with more yellow skin, however, ALT 68, AST 54, platelets 93 improved. Renal function worsened to BUN 58, Cr 4.05, GFR 17.5. All the extensive work up came back unremarkable, Leptospira IgM antibody was sent on day 5. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit on day 6 for multi-organ failure. On day 8 leptospira IgM antibody came back positive and antibiotics were de-escalated to IV penicillin G. On day 12, patient had significant clinical and labs improvement, WBC 10.16, Platelets 347, ALT 59, AST 44, Bilirubin 4.2, (direct bilirubin 2.6), BUN 20, Cr 1.22, GFR >60. 2 weeks after hospital discharge, patient was feeling much better and his hepatic and renal function returned to baseline. Discussion: Leptospirosis-induced acute liver injury is exceedingly rare in United States; hence, a high index of suspicion is required to make the diagnosis due to its variable clinical course. Most cases are mild, while some are severe and potentially fatal. In urban areas, the disease is mainly transmitted via rodent urine contamination of water and soil. With the increase use of various types of cycles, riders of these devices, as well as sewer workers and joggers, risk greater exposure to the disease. Providers, especially in urban settings, should have a high index of suspicion, and evaluate patients with acute liver injury for leptospirosis.

Sewage Environment and Workers Health Monitoring System Using IOT and ML

Abstract: This project aims to provide intelligent solutions for sewage environment monitoring and is working on a live sewage level detection and monitoring system. Many sanitation workers suffered from serious health problems at a young age and died from constant exposure to toxic sewage. Various types of work have been undertaken to identify, maintain and manage the drainage system, but very little has been done. to protect the lives of the people who do it. The goal of this monitoring system is to have an effective, flexible and cost-effective solution to verify and maintain an update through sensors and to collect and analyze data using the Internet of Things and machine learning. The device monitors the person's pulse rate via heartbeat sensor, sewer temperature, water level and hazardous gases such as CH4, CO to warn the worker and the outdoor unit when the parameters deviate from the safe range. The information is sent along with various values indicating whether it is safe for the worker to clean or work in that environment. If the values exceed the threshold, it sends an alert to the connected mobile devices of authorized people remotely at work. This result will quickly alert the worker to stay safe and detect toxic gases before damage occurs. The machine learning model then uses the data obtained from the cloud to perform further systematic analysis and intelligently leverages this vast amount of data to predict worker health with considerable reliability and accuracy.

Experimental determination of the H2S mass transfer coefficient across the liquid-gas interface in gravity sewers.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) emissions in sewer systems lead to several problems such as corrosion, odour nuisances, and health damage to sewer workers. Although the gas is formed in the liquid phase, its effects are noticeable when released into the sewer atmosphere. Until recently, the lack of analytical procedures for continuous monitoring of H2S in the liquid phase, as well as its toxicity, have challenged the quantification of the mass transfer coefficient under real conditions. Because of this, most studies have mainly focused on batch experiments with artificial wastewater and/or oxygen. The aim of this study was to experimentally determine the overall mass transfer coefficient for H2S during intermittent pumping events common in actual sewer systems, using the two-film theory approach and employing online sensors for liquid and gas phase measurements. The mass transfer coefficient was quantified by carrying out 21 experiments with actual wastewater in a 25 m long gravity pipe of a sewer pilot plant located in Berlin (Germany). Results show that the corrected mass transfer coefficient (KLa20) during a pumping event ranged between 0.1 and 8 h-1 with a median value of 4.2 h-1, within the range of the results obtained by the most common empirical models.

How and when does occupational stigma promote intent to leave? The mediation effect of &amp;lt;italic&amp;gt;family implicated stigma&amp;lt;/italic&amp;gt; and the moderating effect of family involvement

<p id="p00005"><italic>Occupational stigma</italic> reflects a society’s disapproval of, and discrimination against, an individual or group based on their occupation. Workers in stigmatized occupations, such as sewer workers, garbage collectors, street cleaners, and slaughterhouse workers, can internalize this occupational stigma, which can lower their self-esteem and motivate them to conceal their occupations or even leave their jobs to seek a higher status position. Many studies have explored the effects of occupational stigma on employees’ job attitudes and performance and some demonstrate that workers who feel stigmatized by their work devalue it and themselves, and this motivates them to not fully engage in their work, and considering other work options. However, extant studies focus primarily on the effect of occupational stigma mediated by occupational identity, and overlook the fact that occupational stigma also can influence employees’ perception of their family’s identity. <break/>Based on identity boundary theory, this study examines whether occupational stigma spills over to workers’ family identity and whether this results in negative job outcomes. That is, employees perceive their families as being stigmatized because of their “dirty” occupations, which is referred to as <italic>family implicated stigma</italic>. Moreover, this study explores whether this mediating effect of family implicated stigma is moderated by the employee’s level of family involvement. In such a way, occupational stigma is perceived as a threat to the family identity of workers who do “dirty work”. In other words, ‘dirty workers’ perceive their occupational stigma as implicating their families as well. Moreover, this study finds that individuals who are highly involved in their family’s life are more likely to leave their jobs because of family implicated stigma. <break/>We surveyed 390 employees across various jobs in China to test these predictions; 384 participants completed the entire three-wave survey, and the resulting data were analyzed. Results show that family involvement moderates both the relationship between occupational stigma and family implicated stigma, and the relationship between family implicated stigma and employees’ intent to leave a job, such that these two relationships are stronger when individuals’ family involvement is high rather than low. Furthermore, this mediating effect is more salient for individuals with a high-level of family involvement compared to those with a low-level. <break/>Our findings extend the research on occupational stigma by introducing a mechanism that influences employees’ intent to leave their job due to their family’s implicated stigma rather than on their negative personal occupational identity. Additionally, this study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that occupational stigma may crucially influence employees’ families in addition to negatively affecting the workers. Moreover, this is a pioneering explorative study that tests the identity boundary theory and offers practical suggestions on managerial strategies to address occupational stigma, including methods to maintain workers facing occupational stigma.

Characteristics and Determinants of the Presence of Respiratory Symptoms among Sewage Workers in Malaysia.

Background The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships of PM 2.5 and H2S exposure with the presence of work-related respiratory symptoms among sewage workers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in eleven sewage plants located in the central region of Peninsular Malaysia. One hundred ninety-one sewage workers were assessed using the British Medical Research Council (BMRC) questionnaire. Area air sampling was performed in three different sewage plants to measure the following parameters: physical air quality and concentration of PM 2.5 and H2S. Result Chronic cough (34.0%) was reported as the most common symptom, followed by chronic phlegm (26.2%), shortness of breath (7.9%), and chest tightness (3.7%). There were five significant determinants of the presence of respiratory symptoms among the sewage workers: shift work (AOR 23.50, 95% CI: 1.90–616.52), working at a sludge treatment facility (STF) (AOR 25.46, 95% CI: 2.06–314.29), a longer duration of working years (AOR 1,21, 95% CI: 1.01–1.44), individual cumulative exposure to PM 2.5 (AOR 9.01, 95% CI: 1.98–83.33), and individual cumulative exposure to H2S (AOR 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07). The majority of STF and non-STF workers had higher exposure to PM 2.5 and H2S concentrations in the air than office workers. Conclusion Sewage workers working at non-STFs or STFs reported a significantly higher prevalence of work-related respiratory symptoms and exposure to PM 2.5 and H2S compared with office workers. Exposure-response relationships were also found in sewage workers' cumulative exposure to PM 2.5 and H2S and the presence of respiratory symptoms.

Health Related Quality of Life amongst Sewerage and Sanitary Workers of Karachi, Pakistan.

Objectives:To find out the impact of occupational and socio-demographic factors on the health related quality of life of sewerage and sanitary workers in Karachi.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2019. Four hundred workers were chosen from five districts of Karachi using a non-probability convenient sampling technique. An Urdu version of WHO BRIEF quality of life questionnaire was used to collect the data about workers general health status and quality of life. Descriptive analysis was done and Chi-square test was used for the association of socio-demographic factors and quality of life. Multiple regression model was used to predict QOL of all domains. P-value<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Results:Out of 400 sanitary workers, 228 (57.0%) were sweepers and the rest 172 (43.0) were sewerage workers. The majority of the workers 321 (80.3%) were male and 246 (61.5%) were illiterate. The vast majority of the workers 386 (96.5%) were not immunized against typhoid, / hepatitis and tetanus. Ninety-one percent (91%) were not using any kind of safety gadgets while at work. Male workers, married workers of both sexes and those with some education had a little better quality of life than their counterparts. Sanitary employees likewise had a higher quality of life score than sewage workers (P-value<0.05).Conclusion:The majority of workers, particularly sewage workers, have a very poor quality of life. Along with very bad working circumstances, their standard of living is significantly below par. They were not given any safety equipment. They were handling untreated sewage/waste with their bare hands, and they have never received a typhoid/hepatitis /tetanus vaccine.

Seroprevalence of Leptospira and Description of Work-related Practices and Characteristics among Sewer Workers Servicing Selected Cities in the West Zone of Metro Manila, Philippines

Leptospirosis is a major public health problem in many countries, especially in southeast Asia, including the Philippines. It is considered an occupational risk both in rural and urban settings, notably among sewer workers. Rodents, especially rats, are the most important reservoirs of the disease and can continuously shed Leptospira through their urine – contaminating their surroundings, including the work environment of sewer workers. Despite the apparent occupational risk, there are limited seroprevalence studies conducted among sewer workers in the country. This study reports the current seroprevalence among sewer workers, as well as the Leptospira serovars they are exposed to. Serum samples obtained from 105 sewer workers in the West Zone of Metro Manila were subjected to microscopic agglutination test (MAT). A cut-off titer of 1:100 was used to detect exposure of sewer workers to Leptospira. Results showed that five out of 105 sewer workers were seropositive for Leptospira-agglutinating antibodies, particularly against serovar Mini. The seropositive sewer workers also reported work-related practices and characteristics that might have consistently exposed them to Leptospira-contaminated sewer environments. These practices include wading in combined sewer overflow (CSO), maintenance holes, and septic tanks as a part of their jobs; getting sewer water splashes in their eyes, nose, or mouth while cleaning at least once or twice a week; and going to work despite having cuts or bruises.