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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #105030
Title: EFFECTIVENESS OF ELECTROSTATIC SPACE CHARGE SYSTEM FOR REDUCING DUST IN A CAGED LAYER ROOM

Author
item Mitchell, Bailey
item Holt, Peter
item Seo, Kun Ho

Submitted to: Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Dust in the air is known to be one of the primary means by which bacteria and other disease causing organisms of animals are spread. Salmonella enteritidis is a type of bacteria that can be spread through the air in areas where egg laying chickens are housed, and it can cause human illness when improperly handled eggs or egg products infected with it are eaten. There is a variety of equipment that can reduce airborne organisms by reducing airborne dust, but most of it is not practical in animal areas such as poultry layer rooms where dust levels can be relatively high. A custom-built negative air ionization unit installed near the center of a poultry layer room reduced airborne dust levels by 50% for low dust concentrations generated by chickens and by 91% for moderate dust concentrations generated by an artificial dust source used to test the system. In later trials with chickens infected with Salmonella enteritidis, ,the ionization unit reduced airborne Salmonella enteritidis approximately 95%. These results are consistent with previous studies that have shown reducing dust levels by 50% would reduce airborne bacteria by 100 fold or more. The technology could potentially be applied to any type of animal production house. Improving air quality should not only improve the health of chickens, but also minimize respiratory problems of workers in these areas. Technical Abstract Dust has been shown to be an important mechanism for airborne transmission

Technical Abstract: Dust has been shown to be an important mechanism for airborne transmission of disease causing agents of animals. Although there are a variety of treatments that can reduce airborne dust, most of them are not practical in animal areas such as caged layer rooms where dust levels can be relatively high. An electrostatic space charge system was shown to be very effective on both artificial and naturally generated dust in a caged layer room. Duplicated trials of the system showed that average concentration of artificially generated dust was reduced from 72 to 91% by ionizer treatment -- depending on the initial concentration. The treatment reduced concentration of naturally generated dust from mature chickens in cages by an average of 52%. These results show that use of an electrostatic space charge system can significantly reduce dust in caged layer areas. In experiments that immediately followed the present study, the system was sufficient to reduce airborne Salmonella enteritidis approximately 95% in trials in the same rooms with the same chickens. Previous studies have shown that reduction of dust levels by 50% reduced airborne bacteria by 100 fold or more, thus greatly reducing the potential for airborne transmission of disease causing organisms. In addition, improving air quality in poultry areas also minimizes respiratory problems of workers in these areas.