| Title: | "Exposure to Inhalable Dust, Endotoxin, and Total Volatile Organic Carbons on Dairy Farms Using Manual and Automated Feeding Systems" |
| Author(s): | Basinas I; Cronin G; Hogan V; Sigsgaard T; Hayes J; Coggins AM; |
| Address: | "Centre for Human Exposure Science, Institute of Occupational medicine, Research Avenue North, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK. School of Physics, National University of Ireland, Univeristy Road, Galway H91TK33, Ireland. School of Health Sciences, National University of Ireland, Univeristy Road, Galway H91TK33, Ireland. Department of Public Health, Section for Environment, Occupation and Health, Danish Ramazzini Center, Aarhus University, Bartholins Alle 2, bg 1260, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark. Royal College of Surgeons Ireland Hospital Group, Cavan & Monaghan Hospitals, Cavan, Ireland" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2398-7316 (Electronic) 2398-7308 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "INTRODUCTION: Agricultural workers tend to have high exposures to organic dusts which may induce or exacerbate respiratory disorders. Studies investigating the effect of work tasks and farm characteristics on organic dust exposures among farm workers suggest that handling of animal feed is an important exposure determinant; however, the effect of the animal feeding system has not been explored in any detail. OBJECTIVES: To measure the exposure of Irish dairy farmers to inhalable dust, endotoxin, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) during parlour work and to explore whether levels of exposure to these agents depend on the applied feeding system in the farms. METHODS: Thirty-eight personal exposure measurements were collected from farmers across seven dairy farms. The farms used manual, loft, or semi-automated feeding systems. Information on worker tasks and farm characteristics was collected during the surveys. Associations between exposure concentrations and feeding systems, worker tasks, and other farm characteristics were explored in linear mixed-effect regression models with farmer identity treated as a random effect. RESULTS: Exposure concentrations were variable and had a geometric mean (GM; geometric standard deviation) of 1.5 mg m-3 (1.8) for inhalable dust and 128 EU m-3 (2.5) for endotoxin. More than 50% of the exposure measurements for endotoxin, and organic dust exceeded recommended health-based occupational exposure limits. Endotoxin levels were somewhat lower in farms using semi-automatic feeding systems when compared to those using manual feeding systems but in multivariate regression analysis associations were not statistically significant (beta = -0.54, P = 0.4). Performance of activities related to handling and spreading of hay or straw was the strongest determinant for both inhalable dust and endotoxin exposure (beta = 0.78, P |
| Keywords: | "Aerosols/toxicity Air Pollutants, Occupational/*analysis Animal Feed/analysis Animal Husbandry/*methods Animals Carbon Dioxide/analysis Cattle Dairying Dust/*analysis Endotoxins/*analysis Environmental Monitoring/methods *Farms Humans Inhalation Exposure/;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBasinas, Ioannis Cronin, Garvin Hogan, Victoria Sigsgaard, Torben Hayes, James Coggins, Ann Marie eng England 2017/03/30 Ann Work Expo Health. 2017 Apr 1; 61(3):344-355. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxw023" |
