Sludge Watch ==> Health Assessment of Wastewater Treatment Plant Workers

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Sewage treatment plant workers don't necessarily have the same diseases and 
health problems from sewage that rural residents have from sludge.

Why is this?

-  Because rural residents many be infants, children, or the elderly or ill 
- people with undeveloped or compromised immune systems

- Because workers work for 7or8 hours a day and then leave..while residents 
may have longer exposure - often 24 hrs/day 7days/week.

-Because if a worker is vulnerable to sludge / sewage diseases they may 
leave and find another line of work - residents would have to leave their 
home

- Because workers have health insurance which provides for work related 
medical attention, and generally belong to unions that also help enforce 
their health benefits and improve working conditions.  Rural residents do 
not have these benefits.

- Workers are not generally drinking untreated groundwater near the sludge 
sites...as is usually the case for neighbours to sludge sites

- Workers are told to have their clothes professionally laundered...so as 
not to infect their familiies - rural farm families don't generally have 
prof laundered clothes

- Workers wear protective gear - boots, gloves, goggles, masks - rural 
residents don't

-Workers aren't subject to vector - ie birds aren't pooped sludged feces on 
their laundry lines - their pets aren't tracking sludge into their homes - 
etc...these are factors faced by rural residents.

These are just a few points.

None the less- many workers experience the same kinds of symptoms 
experienced by those who live near sludged lands...respiratory problems, 
skin rashes or lesions, flu like symptoms, fatigue, nausea, etc
....................................................



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16862877&dopt=Citation

1: AAOHN J. 2006 Jul;54(7):301-6. Related Articles, Links


Assessment of wastewater treatment plant workers exposed to biosolids: Pilot 
test of a newly developed health survey.

Robinson C, Robinson K, Tatgenhorst C, Campbell D, Webb C.

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.

The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot test a health survey for 
wastewater treatment workers exposed to biosolids, using an upstream 
framework for environmental health. The questionnaire included items about 
health status, symptoms, frequency of contact with biosolids, use of 
personal protective equipment, and demographic data. A majority of workers 
regularly exposed to biosolids reported at least one health-related symptom, 
although some attributed their symptoms to contact with materials other than 
biosolids. All 11 participants took unnecessary health risks such as 
periodically neglecting to wear masks, respirators, gloves, or goggles to 
protect themselves from potential exposure to biosolids. However, those who 
reported symptoms were the least compliant with personal protective 
equipment use. Survey results highlighted that occupational health nurses 
must effectively communicate to their clients the need for proper use of 
personal protective equipment when working with potentially hazardous 
material.

Publication Types:
Validation Studies