Improving Air Quality in Swine Farrowing Operations: Results of Engineering Interventions

Details

• Personal Author:
  Anthony, T. Renée ; Peters T
• Description:
  A multi-year study has examined engineering controls to reduce concentrations of hazardous wintertime contaminants in indoor swine farrowing buildings. Field interventions incorporated ventilation and equipment replacement in an educational swine farrowing room over three winters. A ventilation system, which included dust removal and recirculation, was installed. Respirable and inhalable dust concentrations were significantly reduced: the system with a pocket-filter (Shaker-Dust Collector SDC- 140-3, United Air Specialists) performed better than an equivalently-sized cyclone (Model 16, Donaldson Inc.). Room concentrations of hazardous gases were measured to examine whether increased air movement in the room resulted in drawing these contaminants from the manure pits: hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) were not increased by using the ventilation system. In year 1, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations exceeded the recommended 1540 ppm limit (mean = 2480 ppm) when common unvented heaters were in use. Mathematical modeling indicated that standard barn heaters (Guardian 60, LB White) heater generated significant contributions of CO2. Hence, heaters in the study room were replaced with a model that vents combustion gases outside of the building (Effinity 93, Modine Manufacturing), which reduced in-room concentrations (mean = 1420 ppm). The heater itself was associated with 800 ppm CO2 reduction, while between-winter differences in temperature and pig counts accounted for a 200 ppm CO2 reduction between study years. Replacing heaters present a low-cost solution to reducing one of the three main air contaminants in this building. We have partnered with producer organization to communicate findings and begun outreach to agricultural extension agents and livestock builders to communicate the low cost solution. Testing the ventilation system in a production barn while tracking human and animal health improvements is under way to demonstrate the cost benefit of ventilation to producers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Cold Temperature Dust Livestock Occupational Health Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Air Contamination Cold Environments IAQ Indoor Air Quality Livestock Industry Manure Pits Respirable Dust
• Publisher:
  Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  85
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053604
• Citation:
  Proceedings of 2017 expanding research partnerships: state of the science, June 21-23, 2017, Denver, Colorado. Denver, CO: Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health, 2017 Jun; :85
• CAS Registry Number:
  Ammonia (CAS RN 7664-41-7) ; Carbon dioxide (CAS RN 124-38-9) ; Hydrogen sulfide (CAS RN 7783-06-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa, Iowa City
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Proceedings of 2017 expanding research partnerships: state of the science, June 21-23, 2017, Denver, Colorado
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:61afa3f523bb3689ae0f78c45c585d963dbea47ea9ff267c15a77b3e046975d5491a2dd07a67151fca475f5d92b1790a17692317957c0f0916aca5c2eb4783e7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216331/cdc_216331_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 150.80 KB ]