Simplified evaluation of biological risk with R applied to wastewater treatment process
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4321/s0465-546x2023000400002Keywords:
Biohazard, Biohazard Assessment, Occupational Health, Wastewater Treatment Plants, R Programming LanguageAbstract
Introduction: There are occupational jobs with a high level of biological risk, including operating and maintaining wastewater treatment plants. This study aimed to assess the level of biological risk for workers in three wastewater treatment plants with different sizes of coverage during the year 2021 and, additionally, to create a tool in the R programming language to facilitate the application of the simplified evaluation of biological risk (SEBR) method, its visualization and reporting of results.
Methods: An SEBR was conducted at three WWTPs of different sizes, and fecal indicators (airborne and surface) and inhalable dust samples were collected in work and operational areas. In parallel, an automated tool was developed in R to analyze, visualize, and report the SEBR results.
Results: Indicators of fecal pollution and inhalable dust concentrations above the recommended limit were detected in all work areas included in the study. Applying the SEBR R-programmed tool showed that the medium and small plants have an “intolerable” biohazard, implying the need for immediate corrective action. On the other hand, the large plant exhibited an “intermediate” level of risk, recommending short-term preventive measures.
Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of implementing corrective and preventive measures in wastewater treatment plants. The automated tool in R allowed for an efficient, accurate, and rapid risk assessment, facilitating the identification of occupational risks.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Eric Morales Mora, Andrei Badilla-Aguilar, Pablo Rivera-Navarro, Ernesto Alfaro-Arrieta, Kenia Barrantes-Jiménez, Clemens Ruepert, Jennifer Crowe, Luz Chacón-Jiménez
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