ABSTRACT
Airborne particles, typical of livestock confinements, include both organic and inorganic components and are formed from a variety of sources, including combustion, dust and particle formation from oxidation of precursor gases. Especially in swine and poultry houses, animals and workers are exposed to a wide range of airborne contaminants, in particular, to dust and ammonia that can induce respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Dust particles can vary widely in composition and size, influencing particulate matter aerodynamic behavior and transport and determining impacts on human and animal health. Principal mechanisms of particle deposition in the respiratory system are inertial impaction, sedimentation, interception and Brownian diffusion. With respect to human health, New particle formation produces a large number of ultrafine and nanoparticles, and because of their small size, they can be deposited throughout the respiratory tract or enter the bloodstream. Numerous epidemiological studies have associated exposure to secondary ultrafines with lung cancer, heart disease, asthma, and/or increased mortality.
