Abstract
The levels and composition of agricultural dusts ar e influenced by animal species, production strategy , housing type and ventilation efficiency. Agricultural dust within animal houses is complex and consists of fee d particles, microbes and their products, dander, fecal matter, gases, metals and other organic and inorganic components. Livestock and poultry production facilities may be categorized as confinement, semi-confinement or pasturebased. Characterization of animal husbandry buildin g dust will provide insight into understanding expo sures experienced by animals, workers and farm visitors. The goal was to characterize biophysiochemical feat ures of livestock dusts from swine, small ruminant, equine, poultry and cattle husbandry units. Settled dust s amples were collected from livestock and poultry housing units at the University Farm and other livestock farms ac ross the state. Morphological features were determined by el ectron microscopy and gravimetry. Biochemical evaluation consisted of pH determination and trace metal detec tion via mass spectrometry. Biological assessment c entered on bacterial characterization via selective media, DNA analysis and endotoxin quantitation. Morphological analyses revealed higher levels of respirable and t horacic particles in poultry, swine, small ruminant and equine units compared to the dairy unit (p<0.01). Dusts we re slightly acidic with the exception of the NCAT s mall ruminant unit (p<0.05). Dust endotoxin levels were consistent and bacterial species detected include Listeria and Escherichia coli . These findings suggest animal husbandry buildings harbor higher levels of smaller respirable and thoracic dust particles compared to inhalable p articles. This information may be helpful in unders tanding dust exposures experienced by animals, farmers and agricultural workers.
Highlights
Animal agriculture is a multi-billion dollar global production operations shifted to efficient confinement industry and meat products supply an ever increasing systems that allow faster productionin environmentally demand; the No 1 consumed meat in the world is pork controlled buildings that safeguard against temperature
It is well established that occupational exposure to agricultural dusts is a risk factor for respiratory dysfunction in swine and poultry facility workers chronically exposed to dust consisting of feed particles, bacterial endotoxin, gases and other components (O’Shaughnessy et al, 2010; Viegas et al, 2013)
Agricultural dust in animal production buildings consists of a complex mixture of grain/feed particles, microbial products, a variety of gases, metals and other components
Summary
Animal agriculture is a multi-billion dollar global production operations shifted to efficient confinement industry and meat products supply an ever increasing systems that allow faster productionin environmentally demand; the No 1 consumed meat in the world is pork controlled buildings that safeguard against temperature. Farmers and workers within animal confinement facilities may be exposed to higher levels of inorganic substances, feed grains, organic dusts, microbes and their products, gases and chemicals (e.g., pesticides, disinfectants) compared to outdoor operations. It is well established that occupational exposure to agricultural dusts is a risk factor for respiratory dysfunction in swine and poultry facility workers chronically exposed to dust consisting of feed particles, bacterial endotoxin, gases and other components (O’Shaughnessy et al, 2010; Viegas et al, 2013). To begin assessing exposures, settled dust samples were collected from raised surfaces at the swine and poultry confinement units and the dairy, small ruminant and equine semi-confinement buildings at the North Carolina A and T State University (NCAT) Farm and five other farms across the state of North Carolina. The purposes for collecting the samples were to determine the chemical, physical and microbial composition of settled dusts that could affect respiratory health by inhalation
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