The relation between the health of workers and the environment in swine confinement buildings was investigated in a study of 57 workers on 30 swine farms in southern Sweden and 55 matched controls. Swine workers reported significantly higher frequencies of respiratory symptoms, more frequent colds and absence due to chest illness, and a history of pneumonia. The increased frequency of symptoms of respiratory disease was related to the number of years and percent of the day spent working with swine. Symptoms were also associated with respirable dust, total dust, endotoxin in total dust, and number of microbes in the air of the work environment. In a multiple regression analysis of the relation between 16 different environmental parameters to work period shifts of five pulmonary function parameters, endotoxin was found to be significantly related to the FEV1 in a dose dependent way.

https://oem.bmj.com/content/oemed/46/1/31.full.pdf

Environmental and health studies of farm workers in Swedish swine confinement buildings.

Airborne particulate matter from livestock production systems: a review of an air pollution problem.

Atmospheric ammonia is a major aerial pollutant of poultry buildings. The current exposure limits for ammonia of 25 ppm are set on the basis of human safety rather than animal welfare. This paper r...

Ammonia and poultry welfare: a review

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of feeding reduced CP, amino acid (AA)-supplemented diets on the nitrogen (N) and energy (E) balance of grower pigs. In Exp. 1, 24 barrows (22.2 kg BW) were fed corn-soybean meal (C-SBM) diets containing either 16% CP, 12% CP, or 12% CP supplemented with lysine (LYS), tryptophan (TRP), and threonine (THR). After 6 d of adaptation to the diets and feeding frequency, a 5-d N and E balance trial was conducted. Supplementation of the 12% CP diet with LYS, TRP, and THR improved N retention ( P .10). Energy retention was increased by AA-supplementation of the 12% CP diet ( P .10) to pigs fed the 12% CP diet with IDAA and DAAN supplementation. Pigs fed the 12% CP diet with LYS, TRP, and THR supplementation exhibited the highest efficiency of N retention (P < .01). Pigs fed the 12% CP diet supplemented with LYS, TRP, THR, and DAAN retained more (P < .01) E than pigs fed the 12% CP diet supplemented with IDAA and DAAN and more (P < .07) E than pigs fed either the 12% CP diet supplemented with LYS, TRP, and THR or the unsupplemented 12% CP diet. Pigs fed the 16% CP diet retained more (P < .06) E than pigs fed the 12% CP diet with IDAA and DAAN supplementation. Although the data show that the efficiency of N retention is greatest when LYS, TRP, and THR are supplemented to the 12% CP diet, maximal N retention is achieved only when the 12% CP diets are supplemented with both the deficient AA and a source of N for dispensable AA synthesis.

Effect of feeding reduced protein, amino acid-supplemented diets on nitrogen and energy balance in grower pigs

Previous studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of respiratory and other symptoms and a decrement in lung function among pig farm workers, although the relationships with specific agents present in the work environment remain obscure. This study was therefore undertaken to investigate the relationship between symptoms, lung function and airborne endotoxin, ammonia and dust levels in piggeries. Information on symptoms, lung function, endotoxin, ammonia and dust levels was available for 183 pig farmers who worked in 136 farms. For 62 farms information was present on the levels of bacteria and gram-negative bacteria. For these 62 farms, endotoxin exposure measurements were taken in more than one stable. In general, no significant correlations were found between lung function and chronic respiratory symptoms, or dust and ammonia levels. The endotoxin concentration in stables was negatively related to most lung function variables, but only for the subgroup of 62 farmers was a statistically significant relationship found between endoxtoxin exposure and FEV1. A borderline statistically significant and negative relationship was found between the endotoxin concentration and the FVC. Symptoms experienced during or shortly after work showed odds ratios larger than one with the levels of bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and endotoxin, indicating a positive relationship. No consistency in the relationship between symptoms and dust levels was found. The results suggest that endotoxins and (gram-negative) bacteria probably play an important role in the development of symptoms and lung function changes among pig farmers.

Relationship of airborne endotoxin and bacteria levels in pig farms with the lung function and respiratory symptoms of farmers.

Effects of Aerial Ammonia on Growth and Health of Young Pigs

Aerial levels of bacterial-colony-forming particles (BCFP) in lung-depositable size ranges were determined using an eight-stage Andersen viable sampler with t ryptose agar. Aerial levels of BCFP~< 4.7/am and ~<3.3/am in aerodynamic diameter were significantly and positively correlated with total-aerial-BCFP level in swinehouse air. On average, 31% of aerial BCFP were ~<4.7 /am and 15% were ~<3.3 /am in four University enclosed swine houses (n = 192); 30% and 22%, respectively, in a University modified-open-front house (n = 44) and 28% and 11%, respectively, in 12 houses at five commercial operations (n = 24). Aerial-dust level was determined using a Staplex highvolume sampler. Aerial-BCFP a n d d u s t levels were significantly and positively correlated. There tended to be fewer aerial BCFP per unit of aerial dust in the modified-open-front house than in the enclosed houses at the University. Ten swine houses at commercial operations and four at the University were studied a total of 16 times to determine concentrations and sizes of aerial bacterial particles which formed colonies on t ryptose (general medium), Chapman-Stone (special medium for staphylococci) , KF Streptococcus (fecal streptococci) and MacConkey (coliforms) agars, respectively. Ratio of bacterial-colony-forming-particle (BCFP) count on Chapman-Stone agar to that on t ryptose

John G. Drummond

Papers

Effects of Aerial Ammonia on Growth and Health of Young Pigs

Relative and qualitative aspects of aerial bacteria and dust in swine houses.

Diurnal and annual fluctuations of aerial bacterial and dust levels in enclosed swine houses.