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Acknowledgements

Exposure assessment to airborne contaminants in the indoor environment of Irish Swine Farms Patricia Mc Donnell M.Sc. Acknowledgements. Millennium Research Fund, National University of Ireland, Galway Health & Safety Authority Teagasc Farmers. Presentation Outline. Introduction

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Acknowledgements

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  1. Exposure assessment to airborne contaminants in the indoor environment of Irish Swine FarmsPatricia Mc Donnell M.Sc.

  2. Acknowledgements • Millennium Research Fund, National University of Ireland, Galway • Health & Safety Authority • Teagasc • Farmers

  3. Presentation Outline • Introduction • Agriculture in Ireland • Swine Farmers – Respiratory Hazards • Study Objectives • Sampling Strategy • Results & Conclusions • Study Recommendations

  4. Introduction Agriculture in Ireland • Farmers – 7% of Irish workforce (Teagasc, 2006) • Intensive live-stock production • Increases in Productivity • Increased potential exposure to physical, chemical & biological health hazards • HSA Farm Safety Plan 2003-2007 • HSA Code of Practice for Preventing Injury and Occupational ill Health in Agriculture

  5. Agriculture in Ireland Cont’d.. • Illnesses (National Farm Survey, 2004) • 49% back pain • 35% respiratory disease • Respiratory hazards • Gases e.g. ammonia & carbon dioxide • Dusts • Endotoxin

  6. Swine farmersRespiratory Hazards • Gases of concern: • Carbon dioxide (CO2) • Concentrations >1,500 ppm associated with higher risk of respiratory disease • Recommended health limit 1,540 ppm • Ammonia (NH3) • Colourless gas with sharp, distinctive odour that can irritate eyes, throat & lungs at low levels • Moderate concentrations (6-20 ppm) eye irritation & respiratory problems • Recommended health limit 7 ppm

  7. Swine farmers Respiratory Hazards Cont’d.. Inhalable, Thoracic and Respirable Dust Fractions • Swine Confinement Dust • Organic materials - • Inhalable, thoracic & respirable • Endotoxin • Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules in outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria • Symptoms of exposure vary from mild flu-like symptoms (short-term) to chronic respiratory disease (long-term) Diagram from: http://www.skcinc.com

  8. Objectives • Address important data gap in Irish agricultural sector • Particularly exposure levels of swine confinement workers • Measure swine workers’ occupational exposures to respiratory hazards • Gases, swine confinement dust & endotoxin • Calculate worker 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) exposures & compare to recommended health limits for prevention of acute respiratory symptoms • Qualitative assessment of occupational exposure control measures, Best Practices & awareness of occupational health issues

  9. Swine farms No. of farms – 7 Size/Productivity 200-2500 sows Number of employees 1 to 15 employees Facilities/age 4 to 40 years old Workers - Similar Exposure Groups (SEGs) Weaner unit Farrowing unit Dry sow unit Finishing/fattening Farmer who works in all units Sampling Strategy

  10. Sampling Methodology • Personal Inhalable & Respirable Swine Confinement Dust • IOM inhalable sampler; gravimetric analysis • Endotoxin – IOM inhalable sampler • Endotoxin analysed by Limulus Amebocyte Lysate Endosafe Assay (LAL) • Gases • Ammonia - electrochemical sensors • Carbon dioxide – infrared monitor IOM Inhalable Sampler Personal ammonia sampler Pictures taken by author

  11. Results: CO2 and NH3 Table 1: CO2 peak exposures (ppm) and NH3 TWA exposures (ppm) of the SEGs CO2 • Recommended health limit of 1,540 ppm • Farmer SEG peak carbon dioxide exposure (4700 ppm) • NH3 • Recommended health limit of 7 ppm • No significant difference between SEGs • Highest peak levels in fattening unit (peak exposure 16 ppm)

  12. Results cont’d: Inhalable and Respirable Particulates Table 2: Inhalable and Respirable Particulate Exposures (mg/m3) of the SEGs • Swine Confinement Dust • Recommended health threshold limits • inhalable = 2.4 mg/m3; respirable = 0.23 mg/m3 • Weaner unit operator inhalable dust exposures were significantly higher than other SEG’s • Possible factors: high stocking density; greater activity; dry based ration; and close interaction with young swine

  13. No exposure limits / regulatory standards Recommended health limit, range from 90 to 800 EU/m3 Fattening, Weaner & Farmer SEG workers Up to 170,000 EU/m3 of air Poultry workers 719,950 Simpson et al., (1999) Results cont’d: Endotoxin

  14. Conclusions • Swine Confinement Workers potentially exposed to levels of contaminants at concentrations above recommended maximum health limits for prevention of respiratory ill health • Lack of awareness of the effects of occupational exposure in swine industry has on workers • Lack of use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  15. Study Recommendations/Project Outcomes • Exposure monitoring & health surveillance • Efficient Management & Best Practices • Cleaning routines • Vegetable oil spraying • Eliminate accumulated gases • Education & awareness training • PPE – dust masks/respirators • Occupational Respiratory Health Brochure • Further Research

  16. Thank You Patricia Mc Donnell Department of Physics National University of Ireland, Galway E.mail: patricia.mcdonnell@nuigalway.ie Tel: 091-495289

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