Quantitative microbial risk assessment of occupational and public risks associated with bioaerosols generated during the application of dairy cattle wastewater as biofertilizer.

The reuse or recycling of wastewater provides environmental and economic benefits, representing a sustainable and circular alternative for the management of liquid waste. However, the application of effluents to agricultural crops via spraying creates a potentially dangerous situation for individuals exposed to airborne pathogens. This study used Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) tools to quantitatively assess the microbial risks of occupational and public exposures to bioaerosols in fertigation scenarios by spraying untreated and treated dairy cattle wastewater.