Spatiotemporal variations in the association between particulate matter and airborne bacteria based on the size-resolved respiratory tract deposition in concentrated layer feeding operations

Zonggang Li; Weichao Zheng; Yang Wang; Baoming Li; Yuxin Wang

Environment International (May 2021)

Spatiotemporal variations in the association between particulate matter and airborne bacteria based on the size-resolved respiratory tract deposition in concentrated layer feeding operations

Zonggang Li,
Weichao Zheng,
Yang Wang,
Baoming Li,
Yuxin Wang

Affiliations

Zonggang Li: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100083, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Animal-Derived Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Weichao Zheng: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100083, China; Corresponding author at: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, No. 17 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China.
Yang Wang: Beijing Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Animal-Derived Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Baoming Li: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100083, China
Yuxin Wang: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100083, China

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 150
p. 106413

Abstract

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Bacterial loading aggravates the health and environmental hazards of particulate matter (PM), particularly in concentrated animal feeding operations. Understanding the association between PM and airborne bacteria is conducive to accurately assessing occupational exposure, providing fundamental data for exposure mitigation via engineering solutions, and providing information regarding the physical properties influencing the transmission of airborne microorganisms at emission sources. In this work, we conducted a joint study to systematically determine the concentrations and size distributions of PM and airborne bacteria, and establish the quantitative relationship between PM and airborne bacteria in laying hen houses. The association between PM and airborne bacteria was expressed as the load of airborne bacteria on PM in terms of the identical particle size interval based on the size-resolved respiratory tract deposition. The concentrations and size distributions of PM and airborne bacteria in laying hen houses were affected by the in-house space (upper and lower), chicken activity (day and night), and outside temperature. The size distributions of PM and airborne bacteria indicated that the mass concentration of large particles decreased with increasing outside temperature, while the concentration of airborne bacteria loaded on the small particles increased with increasing outside temperature. The results indicated that particles with diameters ranging from 2.1 to 4.7 μm carried the most airborne bacteria. Therefore, particles with diameters ranging from 2.1 to 4.7 μm should be the focus of future experimental research on occupational exposure, air quality improvement, and the airborne transmission of PM and airborne microorganisms originating from concentrated layer feeding operations.

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

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