Abstract
The interest in equestrian sports has increased substantially during the last decades, resulting in increased number of horse facilities around urban areas. In Sweden, new guidelines for safe distance have been decided based on the size of the horse facility (e.g., number of horses) and local conditions, such as topography and meteorology. There is therefore an increasing need to estimate dispersion of horse allergens to be used, for example, in the planning processes for new residential areas in the vicinity of horse facilities. The aim of this study was to develop a method for calculating short- and long-term emissions and dispersion of horse allergen and odor around horse facilities. First, a method was developed to estimate horse allergen and odor emissions at hourly resolution based on field measurements. Secondly, these emission factors were used to calculate concentrations of horse allergen and odor by using 3-D dispersion modeling. Results from these calculations showed that horse allergens spread up to about 200 m, after which concentration levels were very low (<2 U/m3). Approximately 10% of a study-group detected the smell of manure at 60m, while the majority—80%–90%—detected smell at 60 m or shorter distance from the manure heap. Modeling enabled horse allergen exposure concentrations to be determined with good time resolution.
Highlights
Equestrian sports are, after football, the second largest sport in Sweden, engaging about 6% of the population [1,2]
The increasing interest in horses and riding and the proximity of stables to urban areas has resulted in higher exposure of the population to horse allergens and odor that may cause allergy and discomfort
In this study we have developed a method to calculate the dispersion of horse allergen and odor from horse facilities
Summary
Equestrian sports are, after football, the second largest sport in Sweden, engaging about 6% of the population [1,2]. According to the latest figures from 2010, there are approximately 363,000 horses in Sweden of which 75% of horses and 2/3 of horse establishments are in densely built-up areas [3]. The most common airborne allergens come from plants, including pollens from grasses, weeds and trees, and these account for approximately 20% of allergic diseases. The second largest group of allergens comes from pets, originating from dander, epithelium, fur, urine and saliva and account for approximately 15% of allergies [1]. Allergic sensitization to horse allergens seems to be more frequent than expected in subjects living in urban areas, and without direct exposure to horses [7]. Possible modes of exposure include by horse allergen particles spreading through airborne dispersion during various horse activities, by indirect exposure from clothing, or by allergen cross-reactivity mechanisms [8]
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