Air emissions from animal feeding operations may cause elevated concentrations of bioaerosols in surrounding areas, posing adverse health effects to the people working on or living near the farm. Concentrations of nonselective airborne bacteria and fungi in various size ranges were measured by the Andersen six-stage viable samplers in an egg production house and at four ambient stations surrounding the farm in winter, spring, and summer. It was discovered that in-house bacterial particle size distributions (PSDs) were different among seasons. Under higher temperature and lower relative humidity conditions, more bacteria were associated with the small size ranges. Seasonal variations of in-house fungal PSDs were not significant. On average, 60–80% of in-house bacteria were in respirable size range (≤4.7 μm), whereas 60–70% of in-house fungi were in respirable size range. Bacterial PSDs at ambient locations were different among stations in winter but not in spring and summer. There were significant differences in fungal PSDs among ambient stations in three seasons. On average, 50–80% of ambient bacteria were in respirable size range, and 60–90% of ambient fungi were in respirable range.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ACGIH (1985) Particle Size-Selective Sampling in the Workplace. Air Sampling Procedures Committee, American Conference of Govermental Industrial Hygenists, Cincinnati, OH.
2.
AllenV.M., and HintonM.H. (2003). Microbial cross-contamination by airborne dispersion and contagion during defeathering of poultry. Br. Poult. Sci., 44, 567.
3.
AndersenA.A. (1958). New sampler for the collection, sizing, and enumeration of viable airborne particles. J. Bacteriol., 76, 471.
4.
BilicV., and HabrunB. (2000). Distribution of airborne bacteria in swine housing facilities and their immediate environment. Arh. Hig. Rada Toksikol., 51, 199.
5.
ButtnerM.P., and StetzenbachL.D. (1993). Monitoring airborne fungal spores in an experimental indoor environment to evaluate sampling methods and the effects of human activity on air sampling. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 59, 219.
6.
CaoZ. (2009). Determination of Particle Size Distribution of Particulate Matter Emitted from a Layer Operation in Southeast U.S. M.S. Thesis, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
7.
CaparedaS.G., ParnellC.B., ShawB.W., and WanjuraJ.D. (2005). Particle Size Distribution Analyses of Agricultural Dusts and Report of True PM10 Concentrations. ASAE Paper No. 054044. St. Joseph, MI: ASAE, p. 9.
8.
ChangC.W., and ChungH. (2001). Exposure of workers to airborne microorganisms in open-air swine houses. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 67, 155.
9.
ChenY., ZhangY., and BarberE. M. (1995). A new mathematical model of particle size distribution for swine building dust. ASHRAE Trans. 101, 1169.
10.
ClarkS., RylanderR., and LarssonL. (1983). Airborne bacteria, endotoxin and fungi in dust in poultry and swine confinement buildings. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J., 44, 537.
11.
CoxC.S., and WathesC.M. (1995). Bioaerosol Handbook. New York: Lewis Publishers.
12.
CrookB., RobertsonJ.F., Travers GlassS.A., BotheroydE.M., LaceyJ., and ToppingM.D. (1991). Airborne dust, ammonia, microorganisms, and antigens in pig confinement houses and the respiratory health of exposed farm workers. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J., 52, 271.
13.
DouwesJ., ThorneP., PearceN., and HeederikD. (2003). Bioaerosol health effects and exposure assessment: Progress and prospects. Ann. Occup. Hyg., 47, 187.
14.
GreenC.F., GibbsS.G., TarwaterP.M., MotaL.C., and ScarpinoP.V. (2006). Bacterial plum emanating from the air surrounding swine confinement operations. J. Occup. Environ. Hyg., 3, 9.
15.
GriffithsW.D., and DeCosemoG.A.L. (1994). The assessment of bioaerosols: A critical review. J. Aerosol Sci., 25, 1425.
16.
HeberA.J., StroikM., FaubionJ.M., and WillardL.H. (1998). Size distribution and identification of aerial dust particles in swine finishing buildings. Trans. ASAE, 31, 882.
17.
HeberA.J., DawsonJ.R., BattamsV.A., and NicolR.A.C. (1991). Effect of particle size on deposition of piggery dust. Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Conference of the Aerosol Society. Loughborough University of Technology, March26–27, 1991.
18.
HenningsonE.W., and AhlbergM.S. (1994). Evaluation of microbiological aerosol samplers: A review. J. Aerosol Sci., 25, 1459.
19.
HindsW.C. (1998). Aerosol Technology: Properties, Behavior, and Measurements of Airborne Particles. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
20.
HuD. (2012). Temporal and Spatial Variations of Bioaerosol Concentrations Emitted from an Egg Production Farm in Southeast U.S. M.S. Thesis, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC.
21.
HuD., Wang-LiL., SimmonsO.D., ClassenJ. J., and OsborneJ.A. (2015). Spatiotemporal variations of bioaerosols in the vicinity of animal feeding operation facility in the U.S. J. Envir. Pro., 6, 614.
22.
HuD., Wang-LiL., SimmonsO.D., ClassenJ.J., OsborneJ.A., and ByfieldG.E. (2014). Bioaerosol concentrations and emissions from tunnel ventilated high-rise layer operation houses in the United States. Trans. ASABE., 57, 915.
23.
JensenP.A., ToddW.F., DavisG.N., and ScarpinoP.V. (1992). Evaluation of eight bioaerosol samplers challenged with aerosols of free bacteria. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J., 53, 660.
24.
JerezS.B., ZhangY., and WangX. (2011). Measurement of particle size distribution in a swine building. Trans. ASABE., 54, 1103.
25.
LeeJ. (2009). Characterization and Concentrations of Particulate Matters Emitted from Confinement Animal Buildings. Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.
26.
MaghirangR.G., PumaM.C., LiuY., and ClarkP. (1997). Dust concentrations and particle size distribution in an enclosed swine nursery. Trans. ASAE., 40, 749.
27.
MehtaS.K., MishraS.K., and PiersonD.L. (1996). Evaluation of three portable samplers for monitoring airborne fungi. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 62, 1835.
28.
McClureJ. (2009). Determination of particulate emissions from confined animal housing. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Urbana, IL.
29.
PredicalaB.Z., MaghirangR.G., JerezS.B., UrbanJ.E., and GoodbandR.D. (2001). Dust and bioaerosol concentrations in two swine-finishing buildings in Kansas. Trans. ASAE., 44, 1291.
30.
RichardsonL.J., and MitchellB.W. (2003). Effect of an electrostatic space charge system on airborne dust and subsequent potential transmission of microorganisms to broiler breeder pullets by airborne dust. Avian Dis. 47, 128.
31.
ScarpinoP.V., and QuinnH. (1998). Bioaerosol distribution patterns adjacent to two swine-growing-finishing housed confinement units in the American Midwest. J. Aerosol Sci., 29Suppl. 1, 8553–8554.
32.
SimmonsO.D., LikirdopulosC.A., KoG., QureshiS., Worley-DavisL., WilliamsC.M., and SobseyM.D. (2006). Detection and enumeration of airborne microbial pathogens associated with swine farms in eastern North Carolina. In Proceedings of the Workshop on Agricultural Air Quality: State of the Science. June5–8, Potomac, MD.
33.
SweetenJ.M., ParnellC.B.Jr., ShawB.W., and AuvermannB.W. (1998). Particle size distribution of cattle feedlot dust emission. Trans. ASAE., 41, 1477.
34.
TakaiH., PedersonS., JohnsenJ.O., MetzJ.H.M., Groot KoerkampP.W.G., UenkG.H., PhillipsV.R., HoldenM.R., SneathR.W., ShortJ.L., WhiteR.P., HartungJ., SeedorfJ., SchroderM., LinkertK.H., and WathesC.M. (1998). Concentrations and emissions of airborne dust in livestock buildings in Northern Europe. J. Agri. Eng. Res., 70, 59.
35.
ThedellT.D., MullJ.C., GladishM. E., and PeachM.J. (1980). A brief report of Gram-negative bacteria endotoxin levels in airborne and settled dust in animal confinement buildings. Am. J. Ind. Med., 1980, 1, 3.
36.
TsengC.C., and LiC.S. (2005). Collection efficiencies of aerosol samplers for virus-containing aerosols. J. Aerosol Sci., 36, 597.
37.
Wang-LiL., CaoZ., BuserM.D., WhitelockD., ParnellC.B., and ZhangY. (2013a) Techniques for measuring particle size distribution of particulate matter emitted from animal feeding operations. J. Atm. Envi., 66, 25–32.
38.
Wang-LiL., CaoZ., LiQ., LiuZ., and BeasleyD.B. (2013b) Concentration and particle size distribution of particulate matter emitted from tunnel ventilated high-rise layer operation houses. J. Atm. Envi., 66, 8–16.
39.
Wang-LiL., LiQ., and ByfieldG.E. (2013c) Identifications of bioaerosols released from an egg production facility in Southeast U.S.J. Envir. Eng. Sci., 30, 2.
40.
Wang-LiL., LiQ-F., WangK., BoganB.W., NiJ-Q., CortusE.L., and HeberA.J. (2013d) National air emissions monitoring study's Southeast layer site: Part I.site characteristics and monitoring methodology. Trans. ASABE. 56, 1157.
41.
YoderM.F., and Van WicklenG.L. (1988). Respirable aerosol generation by broiler chickens. Trans. ASAE., 31, 1510.
42.
ZimmermanN.J., ReistP.C., and TurnerA.G. (1987). Comparison of two biological aerosol sampling methods. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 53, 99.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
