The price is smells, flies and asthma

The reduction in the frequency of domestic rubbish collections has led to concerns about public health, reports the Daily Telegraph today.

A recent study found that fortnightly pick-ups can increase the risk of health problems, including asthma and nausea.

Researchers found that the level of bacteria and fungal spores in the air above bins that had not been emptied for two weeks was more than 10 times that in locations where there was a weekly collection.

The report in the journal Science of the Total Environment said that decaying rubbish heated by warm weather provided a fertile breeding ground for spores.

"Exposure to fungi on this level can trigger sore throats, respiratory systems, faintness, weakness and depression, asthma and other allergic reactions," Tom Kosatsky, a medical epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal, has been quoted as saying.

Doretta Cocks, the founder of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection, said that while most supported recycling, fortnightly collections meant residents had to endure smells, flies and maggots.

There have also been concerns for binmen. Scandinavian scientists found that fortnightly collections allowed organic waste to degrade and putrefy. They noticed that during the working week the respiratory tracts of binmen became inflamed.

The Department for Environment said its research found no evidence of health problems linked to fortnightly collections. Common sense measures, such as keeping waste tightly wrapped and bin lids closed, would help deal with potential smells or insects, it added.