Análise da qualidade do ar ambiente de cooperativa de catadores de materiais recicláveis

Abstract

The industrialization process and the population growth have caused many environmental problems, including the deterioration of air quality and the progressive generation of solid waste that, in addition to causing environmental degradation, can also affect human health and interfere with the quality of life on the planet. Thus, this study aimed to determine the concentrations of particulate matter (PM), in mass and number, and of microorganisms (bioaerosols) in the ambient air of a materials recovery facility in the city of Londrina. Sampling of the meteorological, PM and bioaerosols variables was done on August 14 and 17 (winter) and on October 03 and 05 (spring), in the morning and in the afternoon, in four points: one in the waste shed (P1), one in the outdoor environment (P2), one in the office (P3), and another one in the outdoor environment (P4). The air temperature and relative humidity were measured concomitantly with the sampling of PM and bioaerosols using the external Onset HOBO sensor. The PM sampling was done for 60 minutes at a flow rate of 2.83 L.min-1 using the Met One 804 particle counter and the Met One 831 aerosol mass monitor. The sedimentation technique was used to collect the bioaerosols for 10 minutes at each sampling point and concurrently with the PM measurement. After the growth of the microorganisms, their concentration was calculated (in CFU.m-3) and then, morphology and staining characteristics were analyzed for the colonies of bacteria, while the microculture technique was applied for the colonies of fungi. Concentrations of PM and bioaerosols presented variability, and a similar behavior was not observed among the pollutants with respect to the sampling points and the periods of the day with higher concentrations. In general, the highest concentrations of PM, in number and mass, bacteria and fungi were recorded predominantly in the spring. However, there was variation between the sampling sites and PM sizes analyzed, and temperature and relative humidity may have influenced this behavior. The working environments of the materials recovery facility studied presented concentration values from 117.1 to 3,855.9 particles.L-1 for PN2,5, from 22.0 to 916.8 μg.m-3 for PM10, from 8.7 to 3,136.2 CFU.m-3 for bacteria, and from 202.9 to 1,611.6 CFU.m-3 for fungi, and many values were higher than those recommended by the standards. Therefore, this exposure may lead to adverse effects on workers’ health, who need to use personal protective equipment (mainly gloves and masks) to reduce the exposure to pollutants.