As city workers strike, bags of moldy food, spoiled meat and dirty diapers are simmering on Philadelphia's streets.
The piles of trash are getting smelly and disgusting and pose potential health hazards, according to a local public health expert.
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"There's a reason why trash smells bad to us," said Jane Clougherty, professor of environmental and occupational health at Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health. "Rotting detritus is dangerous. That's not something that we should be smelling for prolonged periods."
As the cell walls of plant and animal products break down in the garbage over time, bacteria grows and endotoxins and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are released. Breathing these can lead to eye, nose and throat irritation, exacerbation of respiratory illnesses, headaches and other health issues.
"If trash is outdoors, that's a pretty well ventilated environment, and presumably people won't be sitting by their trash for too long," Clougherty said. "But if people have more trash building up in their homes, or if they have the trash can right next to the porch or another location where they tend to sit outside for extended periods, that continued exposure" is a "concern."
And then there are the pests – the rats, mice, roaches and maggots – that rotting garbage attracts.
"The feces, as well as the hair from those animals, are quite serious allergens and asthma triggers, so we don't really want to facilitate the feeding and the breeding of pests in urban areas more than necessary," Clougherty said.
Rodents are known to carry diseases that can spread to people who are bitten or who come in contact with droppings, urine or saliva. Breathing air or eating food contaminated by rodent waste puts people at risk for certain bacterial diseases, such as leptospirosis, salmonella, and viral diseases, such as hantaviruses and Mpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health's Vector Control Services program is continuing to operate and receive and respond to complaints during the strike. Residents who see evidence of rats, such as droppings and gnaw marks, or who are being plagued by mosquitoes can call (215) 685-9000, health department spokesman James Garrow said.
People may take their trash to designated temporary drop-off sites, which have metal dumpsters that are regularly cleared, he said.
"Illegal short dumping and putting trash out for curbside collection will draw rats and is highly discouraged," Garrow said.