Air measurements in a turkey processing facility

Authors: Silva, Philip

Submitted to: Air and Waste Management Annual Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Air quality measurements, including gases and particulate matter were taken at a turkey processing facility; these represent some of the first data from a meat or poultry plant. Gaseous concentrations were acquired during the work environment for hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and methane using continuous monitoring sensors, and for volatile organic compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For particulate matter, number concentrations from 10 nanometers - 20 micrometers were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer and an aerodynamic particle sizer. In addition, a beta gauge was used to determine mass concentration for particulate matter and ion chromatography for limited ionic analysis of the water-soluble fraction. Several different environments in the factory were studied including the live hang area, the evisceration room, the de-boning area, the mixing room, and the offal room. Sulfur concentrations reached ~25 parts per billion (ppb) in the live-hang area, comparable to what can be found at some animal production facilities. On the other hand, as expected, ammonia is significantly lower at the plant than would be at a production facility. Ammonia concentrations at the plant were typically present at the low ppb level whereas at a farming operation it would typically be measured two to three orders of magnitude higher. Particulate matter concentrations were low for an industrial environment, typically less than 20 micrograms per cubic meter, consistent with a typical indoor environment. The volatile organic compounds detected were dominated by molecules characteristic of cleaning and disinfecting products and some personal consumer products.