Emission Dynamics and Public Health Implications of Airborne Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance from Urban Waste Collection Facilities

Abstract

Airborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) present significant global health threats. Household waste collection facilities (WCFs), crucial initial nodes in urban waste management systems, have been understudied in regards to their role in emitting these hazards. This study investigated the abundance, composition, sources, driving mechanisms, and health risks associated with pathogens and AMR originating from WCFs in a major city, using culture-based analysis, high-throughput sequencing, and health risk modeling, respectively. The atmospheric escape rates of culturable bacteria (43.4%), fungi (71.7%), and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) (43.7%) were estimated based on the concentration differences between the interior and exterior of the WCFs by using SourceTracker2 analysis. Health risk assessments showed that annual infection risks for waste-handling workers ranged from 0.194 to 0.489, far exceeding the World Health Organization’s acceptable limit of 10^–4. Community exposure risks were notable up to 220 m downwind from WCFs, marking the maximum extent of pathogen dispersion. Our analysis suggests that approximately 6.3% of the megacity’s area (equivalent to 400 km²) is within potential risk zones influenced by WCF emissions. These results underscore the critical need to evaluate and mitigate the public health risks posed by airborne pathogens and AMR emitted from WCFs in megacities globally.