Optical Dust Meters May Misestimate Dust Concentrations in Animal Barns

By Xufei Yang and Ryan Samuel et.al

 

Dust is a major air quality issue associated with livestock facilities. In an animal barn, dust particles can originate from feeds, feces, and beddings, and can reach a very high concentration when animals are active, ventilation is poor, and/or feeding systems are running. Dust also represents a potential safety and health risk factor for caretakers in barns. Dust particles at high concentrations, especially small particles, are harmful to the humans’ respiratory systems. Together with hazardous gases, dust exposure can cause chronic bronchitis, decreased lung functions, aggravated asthma, and other acute and chronic respiratory symptoms. Dust can also carry odorous chemicals and, thus, play a crucial role in transporting and magnifying odor downwind from animal facilities.

Video: Season 6, Episode 12: Veterinarians’ Perspectives on Managing Swine Herd Health Across All Phases

Identifying challenges in swine production and turning them into solutions through research and team development is the focus of this episode. Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham of Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics shares insights on herd health, biosecurity and trial work to improve pig performance. She also discusses her team’s research philosophy, how they evaluate rate of investment and how they gather feedback from employees to address challenges and maintain herd health across all phases of production. Dr. Carlos Roudergue of Country View Family Farms discusses the growing complexity of swine production, especially as technology increases and employee interaction decreases. He also shares how their workforce is shifting toward more specialized roles to support herd health and efficiency.