WRAP notes potential health risk of exhaust fumes

The review, of 150 research articles on waste collections, was jointly commissioned and funded by WRAP and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), and claims that more work would be “advisable” on the potential health risks of exposure to bioaerosols mixed with exhaust fumes.

The scoping report claims that due to the repetitive nature of collection work, waste operatives were more at risk of harm than householders.

At the same time, it claims there is no evidence that alternate weekly collections pose a risk to the health of householders or waste collectors, assuming that councils adopt mitigation measures as exemplified in existing good practice advice.

The report, entitled 'Scoping Study of Potential Health Effects of Fortnightly Residual Waste Collection and Related Changes to Domestic Waste Systems' states: “The literature review did confirm some issues that could be affected by collection frequency: the incidence of maggots and flies; manual handling issues related to the weight of the waste containers; and the risk of exposure to bacteria, moulds (and their spores), and bioaerosols (airborne microorganisms) from both kitchen and garden organic waste materials.”

Risks

Steve Lee, chief executive of CIWM, said the report reinforced the need for councils to carry out thorough risk assessments.

Philip Ward, director of Local Government Services at WRAP, added: “There is no evidence that changing to a fortnightly collection creates risks that cannot be dealt with by following the straightforward good practice guidance already available. Whatever the collection system, it needs to be well designed and appropriate for the local area.

“Particularly in the warmer summer months, it is important that councils remind householders how to keep waste collections safe. This advice could include not keeping food waste in the house for long periods and wrapping it before putting it in the bin.”

While the study said that both householders and waste collectors could theoretically be affected by the factors such as maggots and airborne particles, the conclusion was that the lower exposure of householders and the availability of simple precautions meant the risk for them was little different from that experienced with weekly collections.

It is understood that the study was partly prompted by media reports about the impact of alternate weekly collections and a general feeling of public concern.

With the review being only a scoping study, there remains a lack of primary research into fortnightly collections in the UK. No decisions have been taken about whether to undertake a new primary study into the issue and in particular the health impacts of bioaerosols and exhaust fumes but it is believed that WRAP will be working with the waste sector and Government to find out how this can be taken forward. 

The review highlights some of the most important mitigating measures councils can take to prevent waste causing a risk to health such as, proper storage of biodegradable waste, adequate storage capacity, good hygiene, clear communications to householders, and effective health and safety procedures.

Food waste

It also says that separate weekly food waste collections, if properly run, can significantly reduce the amount of biodegradable waste in the residual waste stream and reduce public concerns about fortnightly waste collections, but that they required both clear advice to householders about hygiene issues and a precautionary approach for waste operatives while further work on bioaerosols was carried out.

The study was undertaken by bioaerosols expert Dr Toni Gladding of the Integrated Waste Systems Unit at the Open University. Dr Gladding recently developed a protocol for the Environment Agency – 'A Standardised Protocol for the Monitoring of Bioaerosols at Open Composting Facilities'.