Setting Maximum Dust Exposure Levels for People and Animals in Livestock Facilities

摘要

Numerous manuscript articles have been published regarding the adverse respiratory health consequences of working in intensive livestock and poultry housing. Threshold limit exposure guidelines are not currently applied to this environment, but are essential in order to implement and monitor effective environmental controls. Previous dose-response research work with swine workers has resulted in exposure limit recommendations of 24 mg/m3 total dust, 0.23 mg/m3 respirable dust, 800 EU/m3, and 7 ppm ammonia. Reported here is an industry-wide study of poultry production regarding dose-response relationships of bioaerosol exposures and worker respiratory health. A total of 257 poultry workers were studied for respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function, and exposure to dust (total and respirable), endotoxin (respirable and total), and ammonia Significant dose-response relationships were observed between exposures and pulmonary function decrements over a work shift. Threshold concentrations were identified as follows 2.5 mg/m3 total dust, 0.25 mg/m3 respirable dust; 600 EU/m3 endotoxin, and 12 ppm ammonia. Based on the similarity of these findings to those in swine production, generic exposure thresholds for worker health for the swine and poultry industries is proposed.