Health conditions and occupational risks in a novel group: waste pickers in the largest open garbage dump in Latin America

Abstract

Background The inadequate management of solid waste impacts populations’ health and quality of life, and disproportionately affects developing countries. This study aims to describe a protocol for epidemiological diagnosis, the purpose being to estimate the prevalence of chronic and communicable and non communicable diseases in waste pickers, and the occupational and environmental risk factors to which these are exposed. Methods This is a cross-sectional study, based on survey design in an area of extreme social vulnerability – the largest garbage dump in Latin America. Using a multidimensional research protocol, divided in three stages : 1- The identification of the subjects, and the scheduling of tests; 2- Situational diagnosis through interviews, anthropometric evaluation, measuring blood pressure, collecting hair and nail samples to detect exposure to heavy metals and undertaking laboratory tests; 3- The return of the waste pickers to receive the test results, followed by referral to the health team and to report occupational accidents. Results One thousand twenty-five waste pickers undertook tests and interviews. The majority were women (67.0%), with 36–45 years old (45.7%), and 96.0% had children. In total, 27.3% of the participants did not attend to any school and 47.7% were educated only up to primary level. The majority of waste pickers (68.70%) reported accidents and most of them (89.69%) were related to sharp objects. The mean time working in this open dump was 15 years. According the anthropometric measure, 32.6% were overweight and 21.1% were obese. The most common reported diseases were: osteomuscular disorders (78.7%); arboviruses (28.6%); episodic diarrhea (24.9%); hypertension (24.2%); bronchitis (14.3%); intestinal worms (12.6%) and diabetes (10.1%). According to the blood tests, the values outside the reference limits were: Uric acid (23.89%); creatinine (54.06%); GGT range (16.04%); SGOT - Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (5.29%); SGPT - serum Glutamic-Pyruvic Transaminase (35.52%). Conclusions This study is the first to evaluate multiple risks and diseases in the majority of waste pickers working in the largest garbage dump of a continent. These findings highlight the importance to address urgently the environmental, social and health impacts related to the management of solid waste in developmental countries to protect these workers and their families. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6879-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Illness, Self-Rated Health and Access to Medical Care among Waste Pickers in Landfill Sites in Johannesburg, South Africa

“…A study from India also reported an association between SRH and chronic disease [40]. Chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with reporting poor health and were the most prevalent among waste pickers [12,41]. Landfill sites contain chemicals which might have adverse effects on the environment.…”

“…Waste pickers have a higher risk of acquiring a number of diseases and injuries compared to the general population. This is because of exposure to cuts (lesions to the skin) and toxic substances like chemicals, bacteria, dust inhalation, and medical wastes [9][10][11][12]. Diseases they most commonly face include respiratory infections, skin diseases, mental illness, and chronic diseases [11,13].…”

Health care access of informal waste recyclers in Johannesburg, South Africa

“…In a study conducted in India which compared non-waste recyclers to waste recyclers, waste recyclers were found to have significantly higher injuries (75%), respiratory illness (28%), eye infection (29%), and stomach problems (32%), compared to the comparison group (17%, 15%, 18%, and 19% respectively) [10]. Furthermore, a study in Brazil looking at waste recyclers showed a high prevalence of commonly reported diseases such as muscular disorders (78.7%); arboviruses (28.6%); episodic diarrhea (24.9%); hypertension (24.2%); bronchitis (14.3%); intestinal worms (12.6%) and diabetes (10.1%) [11]. The impact of poor health outcomes in informal waste recyclers and the inability to contribute to removal of environmental waste could result in increased spread of diseases in the general population.…”

Factors affecting the access to health services among waste collectors in Hanoi, Vietnam: A qualitative study

“…The intensity and type of risks depend on where they work (recycling centers, warehouses, on the streets or in garbage dumps), on their working conditions (informal or organized groups), on the nature of the waste (composition, components and decomposition), and the duration of their exposure [5] , [6] . A study in Latin America in 2018 pointed out that the most common reported diseases among waste collectors were osteomuscular disorders (78.7%), arboviruses (28.6%), episodic diarrhea (24.9%), hypertension (24.2%), bronchitis (14.3%), intestinal worms (12.6%) and diabetes (10.1%) [7] . Lucia Botti et al also found that the waste collectors are affected by low ergonomic conditions and highly risk of musculoskeletal disorders [8] .…”