The seasonal influence on airborne dust and endotoxin concentrations in a laying hen house

Abstract

In the present study, air quality in a cage-housed laying hen house was investigated throughout the seasons by assessing dust and endotoxin concentrations. Measurements were done twice a month during the 1-year production cycle. The mean levels of dust and endotoxins ranged from 0.60 mg/m 3 in May to 2.83 mg/m 3 in November, and from 203.15 EU/m 3 in August to 745.53 EU/m 3 in April. Significantly higher concentrations of dust and endotoxins in the poultry house were determined in the autumn and winter seasons, and endotoxins in the spring season as well, compared to the summer (P<0.05 all). The results suggested that the cooler periods of the year pose a greater risk for the welfare and performance of laying hens, but also for the health of humans working in these settings in terms of the levels of airborne dust and endotoxins.

Dust and Bacterial Air Contamination in a Broiler House in Summer and Winter

“…Dust concentration yielded a significant positive correlation with bacterial count in the air (r = 0.602; p < 0.05) (Table 2). The total bacterial count in the broiler house air was consistent with the results reported by Vučemilo et al [45] and Matković et al [46], whereas higher values have been reported by Saleh et al [30], Wójcik et al [31], Lawniczek-Walczyk et al [32], Oppliger et al [37], and Haas et al [47]. In our study, the median bacterial count was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in winter (5.70 × 10 4 CFU/m 3 ) than in summer (4.13 × 10 4 CFU/m 3 ) (Table 1), which is consistent with the results reported by Saleh et al [30] and Wójcik et al [31] but opposite to the results reported by Lawniczek-Walczyk et al [32] and Chen et al [33].…”