{
  "abstract": "Introduction\n\nInformal waste burning is an established source of particulate matter and hazardous combustion emissions in many low- and middle-income settings, yet its potential contribution to biological airborne exposure remains poorly characterized. This study investigated culturable airborne bacteria in active informal waste-burning environments in Hammanskraal, South Africa, and examined their spatial variability and potential relevance to environmental exposure.Methods\n\nA cross-sectional exploratory field investigation was conducted at three active informal waste-burning sites and one non-burning comparison site. Active air samples were collected using a Sampl'Air Pro impactor onto Tryptic Soy Agar at approximate distances of 25, 50 and 100 m from visible combustion areas. Culturable airborne bacterial concentrations were quantified as colony-forming units per cubic meter (CFU/m³), and representative cultured isolates were characterized using the Vitek Compact 2 microbial identification system. Structured field observations documented combustion intensity, waste characteristics, smoke-plume behavior and local environmental conditions.Results\n\nThe highest culturable airborne bacterial concentrations occurred at active waste-burning sites, although concentrations varied substantially among sites. Burn-site concentrations ranged from 91 CFU/m³ to above the analytical upper quantification limit (>1,259 CFU/m³), compared with 35-260 CFU/m³ at the comparison site. Sampling distance was weakly associated with bacterial concentration (Spearman's ρ = -0.14, p = 0.701; exploratory linear regression R² = 0.02). Thirty-nine representative isolates were characterized. Gram-positive bacilli constituted the largest phenotypic grouping, while Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Pantoea spp. and several other environmentally associated or opportunistic taxa were recovered across the sampled environments.Discussion\n\nActive informal waste-burning environments contained viable culturable airborne bacteria, with markedly elevated concentrations observed at some burning sites relative to the non-burning comparison environment. Distance from active combustion alone did not explain the observed spatial variability; site-specific factors including combustion intensity, plume behavior, environmental disturbance and local meteorology may influence short-term bioaerosol occurrence and warrant investigation using more highly replicated designs. These findings identify viable culturable bacteria as an under-characterized component of informal waste-burning environments and provide a basis for future integrated studies of environmental occurrence, human exposure and potential health relevance.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.",
    "Department of Environmental Health, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.",
    "South African Medical Research Council, South Africa."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Boitemogelo O Kwakwa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Shalin Bidassey-Manilal"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Natasha Naidoo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Isaac T Rampedi"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b50awtmxzpcwh.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1965626",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13683616",
  "id": "b50awtmxzpcwh",
  "issns": [
    "2296-2565"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42908911",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2307|Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220851182",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13683616?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13683616",
  "pmid": "42908911",
  "published": "2026-10-07",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b50awtmxzpcwh.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:10Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42908911",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42908911"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1965626",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1965626/full"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2307|Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure",
      "subfield": "pharmacology-toxicology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Beyond smoke: culturable airborne bacteria associated with informal waste burning in peri-urban South Africa.",
  "title_text": "Beyond smoke: culturable airborne bacteria associated with informal waste burning in peri-urban South Africa.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:22Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b50awtmxzpcwh",
  "venue": "Frontiers in public health",
  "versions": []
}