Small wastewater treatment plants as sources of bioaerosol emissions into the atmospheric air

Wastewater treatment plants are a source of odour and bioaerosol emissions into the atmosphere. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the concentration of selected groups of bacteria and fungi around four small municipal wastewater treatment plants located near Wrocław (SW Poland). The wastewater was treated using the activated sludge method. Bioaerosol samples were collected in triplicate using the aspirometric method onto Petri dishes with appropriate microbiological media. Bioaerosol concentrations around the studied plants and in the vicinity of individual devices were relatively low; in some cases, fecal bacteria and human pathogenic microorganisms were detected in the bioaerosol. The obtained results justify the need for further research on bioaerosols emitted by wastewater treatment plants and systematic monitoring of bioaerosol concentrations in their vicinity.