ILO Home
Go to the home page
Site map | Contact us Français | Español

CISDOC database

Document ID (ISN)33829
CIS number 80-1448
ISSN - Serial title 0096-1736 - Journal of Occupational Medicine
Year 1980
Convention or series no.
Author(s) Lundholm M., Rylander R.
Title Occupational symptoms among compost workers.
Bibliographic information Apr. 1980, Vol.22, No.4, p.256-257. 7 ref.
Abstract Studies are reported at an experimental compost plant where household garbage is crushed and milled with sewage sludge from a sewage water treatment plant. Symptoms occurring in 11 workers were compared with those in 41 water work employees: compost workers reported nausea in 2, headache in 5, fever in 1 and diarrhoea in 4 cases (diarrhoea only in 2 controls). The number of colony-forming units of gram-negative rods per m3 air was high where household garbage was loaded onto the conveyor belt, and at the mill outlet. Application of closed system operation and local ventilation where necessary should not present a problem in compost plants.
Descriptors (primary) garbage composting; pathogenic bacteria
Descriptors (secondary) functional digestive disorders
Document type D - Periodical articles
Subject(s) Commerce, services, offices
Broad subject area(s)
Browse category(ies) Waste collection and disposal