MEASUREMENT OF AIRBORNE GERMS WASTE SORTI NG PLANTS - EVALUATING THE EFFICIENCY OF EMISSION-REDUCING MEASURES

Concentrations of airborne germs were determined within the framework of a research project aimed to elaborate practical recommendations for protecting workers at highly exposed workplaces in waste sorting plan ts. The project's focus was on the sorting cabins where exposure is pe rmanent. Potentially protective measures applied to reduce the emissio n of germs were investigated in view of their performance in real-life . The results show that there are efficient protective measures. Emiss ion reducing measures turned out to be generally more efficient and le ss costly than air technical measures taken to capture and dispose of hazardous dusts emitted in the cabins during the sorting process.