mental conditions such as traffic levels and the type of waste transport vehicle. (J Occup Health 2013; 55: 503-510) Key words: Household waste, House waste-handling work, Size-selective particulate matter Workers handling municipal wastes can be exposed to bioaerosols including bacteria, endotoxins, mold spores, glucan, microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) and infectious materials 1) , as well as vehicle exhaust fumes, noise, extreme temperatures and ultraviolet radiation 2,3) . Bioaerosol exposure is associated with a high risk of respiratory health problems for waste handlers 4−10) . Few studies have assessed particulate matter (PM) levels generated during municipal waste-handling work. In addition, little is known about the environmental and occupational factors that may affect levels of PM with various size characteristics. The PM levels in this study were classified by particle size fraction into the following categories: inhalable particulate matter (IPM), respirable particulate matter (RPM), PM 10 (aerodynamic diameter, Dp≤10 µ m), PM 2.5 (aerodynamic diameter, Dp≤2.5 µ m) and PM 1 (aerodynamic diameter, Dp≤1 µ m), thus providing an indication of either the health effect or air-quality value. To our knowledge, no study has assessed PM levels including the fine PM levels, such as PM 2.5 and PM 1 , generated during municipal waste-handling work.The aims of this study were to assess PM levels and fractions characterized by size, to examine the relationship between PM levels and to assess the effect of the type of waste-handling activity on levels of coarse and fine PM. This study was conducted to assess the size characteristics of particulate matter (PM) generated during waste collection and sorting, and to assess the effect of the type of waste-handling activity on levels of coarse and fine PM. Methods: A portable aerosol spectrometer calibrated to 1.2 l/min was used to monitor PM generated during four types of wastehandling activities. The types of PM measured included inhalable particulate matter (IPM), PM 10 , respirable particulate matter (RPM), PM 2.5 and PM 1 . Twenty-eight data sets with 3,071 subsets recorded every 6 sec were categorized according to occupational and environmental classifications, including type of waste-handling activity. An ANOVA was used to compare PM levels characterized by size. Significant variables with p-values <0.25 were included in a multiple regression model for predicting levels of each PM. Results: The average levels of PM 10 and PM 2.5 greatly exceeded the air-quality levels enforced by the Korean Ministry of the Environment. The highest PM 2.5 fine-particle levels monitored were during waste-transfer work, while the highest IPM and PM 10 coarse-particle levels monitored were during waste-sorting work. The type of waste-collection activity was the only factor that significantly affected both PM 2.5 and IPM, accounting for 36% (p=0.0034) and 40% (p=0.0049), respectively, of the observed variations. None of the factors affected PM 10 or RPM levels. Conclus...

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