Abstract
This study evaluated the use of filtration and UV-A photocatalysis for the reduction of particulate matter (PM) and airborne bacterial pathogens in swine barns. Two MERV filters (8 and 15) were used to mitigate PM concentrations measured at the PM 1, PM 2.5, respirable PM, and PM 10 ranges. Filtration was also used to generate different levels of airborne pathogens to be treated by UV-A. Results show that MERV 8 and 15 filters effectively reduced PM concentrations (96–98%) in air exhausted from a swine barn (p ranged from <0.01 to 0.04). UV-A photocatalysis did not mitigate PM concentrations. UV-A photocatalysis treatment reduced measured colony-forming units (CFUs) by 15–95%. The CFU percent reduction was higher when airborne PM concentration was low. The numeric results suggested a real mitigation effect despite p-values that did not meet the usual statistical cut-off of <0.05 for significance due to the large variability of the CFU control samples. Normalization of measured airborne pathogen concentrations by smaller PM size range concentrations led to emerging significant treatment differences for CFUs. A significant decrease (~51% reduction; p < 0.02) in the concentration of viable airborne bacteria was shown for all PM below the 10 micron range.
Highlights
Bioaerosols composed of organic dust, microorganisms, and endotoxins are believed to contribute to respiratory infections in workers and livestock [1,2,3]
The effect of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration and UV-A photocatalysis on particulate matter (PM) was investigated under three conditions with increasingly higher PM concentrations
This proof-of-concept aimed to investigate whether particulate matter (PM) filtration and UV-A photocatalysis could reduce PM and airborne pathogens discharged from swine barn
Summary
Bioaerosols composed of organic dust (proteins, complex carbohydrates), microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, and fungi), and endotoxins are believed to contribute to respiratory infections in workers and livestock [1,2,3]. Human and animal health could benefit from improved air quality and reduced exposure to airborne pathogens inside barns. Air filtration can mitigate particulate matter (PM) and reduce airborne infectious pathogens, and some swine operations use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to remove dust and infectious airborne from incoming ventilation air [4]. While inlet air filtration can reduce exposure to airborne pathogens and PM [5,6], it is expensive to install and maintain (e.g., the estimated maintenance cost for inlet air HEPA filters for a typical swine barn is >$80,000 per year [4]). Ultraviolet (UV) light can mitigate pathogens and gases, but the bactericidal effects depend on the wavelength, dose, and other factors that challenge the techno-economic considerations for farm-scale adoption [7]. The light within the UV portion of the spectrum (wavelengths 100–400 nm) exhibits widely different effects, because of the fourfold range of energy per photon but because of absorption probabilities that vary by orders of magnitude for different materials and wavelengths
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