Comparison of occupational and environmental exposures at Colorado dairies
Date
2008
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Abstract
Occupational contaminant levels and environmental emissions were compared at two Colorado dairies. Along with meteorological conditions, analytes measured included odor, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, total and inhalable particulate and endotoxin, and bioaerosols including fungi, mesophilic bacteria, and gram-negative bacteria. Meteorologic conditions varied widely in temperature (range: -12.5 - 4 1.1°C), relative humidity (range: 0.6 - 92.3%) and wind speeds during sampling (range: 0.48 - 8.66 m/s). Geometric mean bioaerosol concentrations for the Anderson sampler and SKC Biosampler include: mesophilic bacteria, 1282 and 383 CFU/m3, gram-negative bacteria, 667 and 265 CFU/m 3, and fungi, 781 and 252 CFU/m3. The Anderson sampler collected significantly (p<0.001) higher bioaerosol concentrations for all three categories. Peak ammonia levels at the study and control dairies ranged from 2.0 - 142 and 2.0 - 23 ppm. Peak ammonia was significantly (p<0.05) higher at the study dairy. Mean hydrogen sulfide levels at the study and control dairies ranged from 4.0 - 394 and 4.0 - 890 ppb. Peak hydrogen sulfide levels at the study and control dairies ranged from 37 - 17,000 and 210 - 5,200 ppb. Mean peak hydrogen sulfide was significantly (p<0.05) higher at the control dairy. Odor measures ranged from 0-15 D/T at both dairies. Inhalable particulate at study and control dairy lagoons ranged from < LOD - 2.3 mg/m3. Inhalable endotoxin at study and control dairy lagoons ranged from 2.1 - 487.2 EU/m3. Total particulate at study and control dairy lagoons ranged from < LOD to 2.4 mg/m3. Total endotoxin at study and control lagoons ranged from 2.5 - 6587 EU/m3. Inhalable particulate for tasks at both dairies ranged from 0.06 - 8.0 mg/m3. Total particulate for tasks at both dairies ranged from 0.03 - 6.9 mg/m 3. Inhalable endotoxin for tasks at both dairies ranged from 2.0 - 11096 EU/m3. Total endotoxin for tasks at both dairies ranged from 5.9 - 6758 EU/m3. Supported by NIOSH Grant 5U500H008085.
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Subject
agriculture
Colorado
dairies
emissions
environmental exposure
hydrogen sulfide
occupational exposure
odor
agriculture