Document is current

Article History

Received: 6 November 2025

Accepted: 9 April 2026

First Online: 18 May 2026

Declarations

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical considerations: All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national and institutional guidelines. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Academic Committee on Ethics in Biomedical Research at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS) (Ethical Code: IR.ZUMS.REC. REC.1400.477). Prior to participation, workers were informed about the objectives, procedures, and voluntary nature of the study, and written informed consent was obtained. No personal identifiers were collected, and all biological materials were handled and disposed of in compliance with laboratory biosafety protocols.

Informed consent: For experiments involving human participants, informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study. Prior to data collection and bioaerosol sampling, all wastewater treatment plant workers were provided with detailed information regarding the study’s purpose, procedures, and potential implications. The participation was entirely voluntary, and written informed consent was obtained from all subjects before their inclusion in the study. All personal data and identifying information were kept strictly confidential, and results are presented in aggregate form only.