German scientists have warned that rotting organic rubbish can cause serious health problems to the skin and lungs. The mould that grows on this type of rubbish has caused skin and breathing problems in some people.
Harald Morr, a pneumologist and chairman of the German Lung Foundation, has found studies showing that airborne mould spores from organic waste could lead to allergic reactions, asthma attacks, hayfever-like symptoms and itchy skin lesions.
"Even just opening the lid of a bin containing organic waste can cause mould spores to be stirred up which, if breathed in, can damage the lungs," said Morr. "The more spores breathed in, the worse the repercussions on one's health can be."
Issues like this are more often than not associated with environmental pollutants and not a recycling practice that most families of today are urged to take seriously. As more people continue to separate their rubbish, concerns about the dangers of organic waste increase.
In Germany, people are being urged to empty their waste more frequently and wear facemasks or hold their breath while dealing with rotting materials. The health problem linked to decaying organic matter is aspergillomas, fungal balls that fix themselves inside the lungs.
Christian Whit, a professor at the clinic of infectology and pneumology at Charitie hospital in Berlin said that while healthy people with strong immune systems were less at risk while dealing with rotting organic rubbish, transplant patients, people dealing with chemo therapy and those who are susceptible to bronchial infections, should avoid proximity to the rubbish all together.
Regine Szewzyk, a microbiologist at Berlin's environmental agency, said: "Basically it should be left to healthy people to take the rubbish out."
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This post was written by Christine Pinella on April 20, 2008