Bioaerosol Assessment

A Bioaerosol Assessment is now required by the Environment Agency for all relevant processes. Composting, anaerobic digestion and mechanical biological treatment are now the principal technologies deployed across the UK to treat organic waste streams. These processes rely on microbial activity to break down waste materials and are known to generate emissions of bioaerosols – a collection of biological particles including fungi, bacteria, viruses and their components.

There is growing concern that exposure to bioaerosols is associated with a range of human health effects, including chronic respiratory conditions, gastrointestinal illness and cancer. This has led to greater scrutiny of development proposals for new waste management facilities and more substantive monitoring requirements for existing sites.

Redmore Environmental has specialist knowledge of bioaerosol measurement techniques and extensive experience of undertaking assessments in support of planning and Environmental Permit applications. We are therefore able to offer a complete range of services to help ensure that your regulatory obligations are fulfilled.

Bioaerosol Assessment Services

Redmore Environmental is able to provide a comprehensive range of bioaerosol assessment services, including:

• Ambient Bioaerosol Monitoring.
• Bioaerosol Dispersion Modelling.
• Bioaerosol Mitigation Analysis.
• Site Specific Bioaerosol Risk Assessment (SSBRA).
• Stack Emissions Monitoring.
• Workplace Exposure Monitoring.

With all work undertaken in line with relevant standards and industry guidance, you can be sure of the accuracy of all returned results, as well as having confidence all data will be accepted by the relevant regulatory body.

Why Undertake Bioaerosol Assessments?

In the absence of dose-response data for human health effects, the Environment Agency, Local Authorities and the Health & Safety Executive have adopted a precautionary approach to the regulation of bioaerosols from biowaste facilities.

For operators of most permitted waste management facilities within 250m of a sensitive receptor, there is a requirement to demonstrate that bioaerosols can and will be maintained at acceptable levels. In many cases this means that plants have a requirement to undertake periodic bioaerosol monitoring to determine local concentrations and report the results back to the regulator.

New development proposals must also consider how bioaerosol emissions may affect surrounding receptors. Site Specific Bioaerosol Risk Assessments are therefore often requested in support of Environmental Permit applications for new facilities. This requirement is outlined in the latest Environment Agency Position Statement on bioaerosols and potential health effects from bioaerosols.

Bioaerosol Experts

Redmore Environmental has worked with some of the largest industrial operators in determining both emissions and associated impact around their sites. Our in-depth understanding of waste treatment processes and emission control systems means that we can carefully focus the scope of your assessment and provide practical and cost effective solutions to bioaerosol compliance for your site.

All ambient measurement work and reporting is undertaken by our team of trained consultants in accordance with the Environment Agency M9 technical note, which is currently the most authoritative and up to date guidance on assessment of bioaerosols. This helps to ensure that your regulatory obligations are fulfilled and that costly delays due to lack of information are avoided.

Some examples of our successfully delivered ambient bioaerosol assessments include:

• Sandhills Composting Centre, Newburn – Ambient Bioaerosol Monitoring was undertaken on a quarterly basis in order to demonstrate compliance with the Environmental Permit for the facility. Sampling was completed at four separate locations in the vicinity of the site in accordance with the EA TGN M9 ‘Environmental monitoring of bioaerosols at regulated facilities’. The results indicated that maximum median concentrations of Aspergillus fumigatus and mesophilic bacteria were below the respective EA benchmark levels of 500cfu/m³ and 1,000cfu/m³ at all downwind positions. As such, the results demonstrated compliance with the requirements of the Environmental Permit for the facility.
• Bonby, Lincolnshire – A programme of Bioaerosol Monitoring was undertaken at a food waste handling facility in Bonby, Lincolnshire. The facility accepts and processes up to 200,000-tonnes of biodegradable wastes from food preparation per year. These consist of both animal by-products waste and non-animal by-products waste. This is de-packaged, treated and dispatched off-site as feedstock for anaerobic digestion facilities. The permit for the facility requires quarterly ambient bioaerosol monitoring to be undertaken in order to quantify potential impacts at sensitive locations and determine compliance with specified limit values.
• Alne, Yorkshire – A programme of Background Bioaerosol Monitoring was undertaken at the IVC plant at Alne Material Recycling facility. The facility processes up to 75,000t of biodegradable material per year. Following completion of the baseline sampling, Ambient Bioaerosol Monitoring was undertaken on a quarterly basis in order to address the requirements of the Environmental Permit.

For further information or to request a quote, please call today or contact us online.

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