Abstract
Bioaerosol emissions from animal feeding operation (AFO) facilities are of increasing interest due to the magnitude of the emissions and their potential health effect on local communities. There is limited information about fate and transport of AFO bioaerosol emissions. In this study, concentrations of airborne bacteria and fungi were measured at four ambient stations in four wind directions surrounding an egg production farm through winter, spring and summer using Andersen six-stage samplers. Mean concentrations of ambient bacteria and fungi ranged from 8.7 × 102 CFU m-3 to 1.3 × 103 CFU m-3 and from 2.8 × 102 CFU m-3 to 1.4 × 103 CFU m-3, respectively. Ambient bacterial concentrations were not significantly different over the seasons, while ambient fungal concentrations were the highest in summer and the lowest in winter. There were significant differences between downwind and upwind bacterial concentrations (p < 0.0001). Downwind bacterial and fungal concentrations responded differently to the influencing factors. Bacterial concentrations were quadratically correlated with wind vector (combined effects of wind speed and direction) and emission rate, were positively correlated with temperature, and were negatively correlated with solar radiation. Fungal concentrations were positively correlated with temperature, RH, and emission rate, and were negatively correlated with wind vector.
Highlights
While providing food for human-beings, animal feeding operations (AFOs) emit significant amounts ofLike other aerosols, the concentrations of bioaerosol in the ambient air vary due to the spatial and temporal effects [5]
Ambient bacterial concentrations did not vary with season atmospheric conditions changed significantly
The lowest ambient fungal concentration was observed in winter time
Summary
While providing food for human-beings, animal feeding operations (AFOs) emit significant amounts ofLike other aerosols, the concentrations of bioaerosol in the ambient air vary due to the spatial and temporal effects [5]. Bioaerosol concentration decreases with increasing distance from the emission source [2], [6]. Another factor that affects bioaerosol concentrations is inactivation [5]. The viability of airborne microorganisms will depend on the range of temperature Microbes will decrease their viability as temperature increases; they may lose viability under extremely low temperatures [7]. Studies confirmed that fungi concentrations were positively correlated with higher RHs and temperatures [13]. Solar radiation is another important factor for the outdoor airborne microorganisms. Ulevičius et al.’s [15] study showed a lethal effect of solar radiation on airborne fungi in ambient air
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