Assessment of waste workers occupational risk to microbial agents and cytotoxic effects of mixed contaminants present in the air of waste truck cabin and ventilation filters.

Workers in the waste-processing industry are potentially exposed to high concentrations of biological contaminants, leading to respiratory and digestive problems and skin irritations. However, few data on the exposure of waste collection truck (WCT) drivers are available. The goal was to document the microbial risk of the waste collection truck (WCT) workers while in the vehicle cab. Long-period sampling using the truck air filters (CAF) and short time ambient air sampling in the cab were used. The potential release of microbial particles from CAFs was also investigated since it could contribute to the microbial load of the cabin air. A combination of analytical methods also helped assess the complex mixture of the biological agents. Complementary sampling strategy and combined analytical methods are helpful in risk assessment.Air filter analysis (long-term sampling) assesses the presence of airborne biological contaminants over a long period.The type of waste collected influences the microbiological hazard of the workers.Waste collection workers are potentially exposed to infectious and mycotoxin-producing fungi.Cytotoxic assays revealed that waste collection workers are potentially.