Waterborne diseases in waste pickers of Estrutural, Brazil, the second largest open-air dumpsite in world

A contribution to the understanding of the changes in the profile of the informal recycling market caused by the closure of large dumpsites: a case study from Brazil

“…Due to their work in landfills and dumpsites, these workers are characterized by extremely poor conditions, which include a propensity for diseases, poor labor conditions, limited access to facilities and infrastructure, no provision of water supply and sanitation, an absence of social safety networks, and shorter life expectancy (Afon, 2012;Gonzenbach and Coad 2007;Wilson et al, 2006;Agarwal et al, 2005). In addition, waste pickers are usually exposed to the stench of waste and vast amounts of pests and dangerous materials, such as medical and other biohazardous waste (Negreiros et al, 2019;Sasaki et al, 2014), waterborne (Cruvinel et al, 2019) and vectorborne diseases (Cruvinel et al, 2020). An incident with international repercussions occurred at the Aguazinha dumpsite in 1994 when a family was found handling anatomical parts from hospital waste (Garcia and Zanetti-Ramos, 2004).…”

Covid-19 effects on municipal solid waste management: What can effectively be done in the Brazilian scenario?

“…The potential occupational risks are divided in: mechanical - cuts, traumas, fractures, lacerations, traffic accidents; ergonometric - musculoskeletal illness from moving heavy weights; chemical - dermatitis and respiratory diseases due to chemical substances exposure; biological - infections from contact with pathogens; and social - malnourishment or under-nourishment, and lack of training ( Gutberlet and Baeder, 2008 ). Regarding biological risks, these workers are typically exposed to waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, intestinal worms, hepatitis A, and leptospirosis ( Cruvinel et al, 2019 ), and vector-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika or chikungunya fevers ( Cruvinel et al, 2020 ). Improper workers training, negligence during work routine, informality of this profession, lack of infrastructure, and inadequate working conditions figure among the factors influencing the rates of accidents involving waste workers ( Mol et al., 2017 ).…”

Recyclable waste pickers: life and work in light of the social determinants of health

“…Recent evidence has shown that waste pickers of recyclable material have a high prevalence of occupational disease (especially chronic and infectious diseases related to the environment), provoked by little access/use of health services, and poor living, housing and working conditions (4)(5)(6)(7) . Also, studies have shown that waste pickers of recyclable material have life trajectories marked by exclusion from the labor market and lack of opportunities and are also vulnerable to powerful agents of suffering related to prejudice and stigma for working with what society calls "waste" (8)(9) .…”