Health Issues and Impact of Waste on Municipal Waste Handlers: A Review

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is hazardous to human health and the environment if not properly handled throughout all management processes, beginning with collection, separation, transfer, treatment, disposal, or recycling and reuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised awareness of the dangers of improper solid waste disposal in terms of soil, water, and air pollution, as well as the health consequences for the people living in the surrounding areas. MSW production is predicted to reach 3.40 billion tonnes globally by 2050.  Inadequate waste management is one of the causes of the rise of infectious diseases. Most viruses, bacteria, and parasites that cause illness are found in blood, bodily fluids, and bodily secretions, which are components of bio-medical waste. This spreads through several human contacts, each of whom is a possible "receiver" of the illness. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and hepatitis viruses are at the forefront of a long list of illnesses and disorders that have been linked to biomedical waste. Other prevalent diseases spread owing to poor waste management include tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhea, tetanus, whooping cough, and others.