Airborne particulate matter and bacteria reduction from spraying slightly acidic electrolyzed water in an experimental aviary laying-hen housing system

W. Zheng, Y. Zhao, H. Xin, Richard S Gates, B. Li, Yuanhui Zhang, M. Soupir

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Compared to conventional cage systems for laying hens, aviary housing systems generally have much higher concentrations of airborne dust and bacteria due to generation of bioaerosols by the hens from their litter access. Hence solutions to reduce these health-degrading agents are required to safeguard the indoor environment in such systems. Spraying slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) has been considered as a novel approach to reducing airborne bacteria and dust levels in hen houses. The objective of this study was to evaluate reduction of airborne bacteria and particulate matter (PM) by spraying SAEW (Trt) in an experimental aviary setting, as compared to no spraying (Ctrl ns) or spraying tap water (Ctrlw). The hens were provided 16-hr light and 8-hr dark (16L:8D), with lights on at 6:00h and off at 22:00h, and were given access to the litter floor from 12:00h to 22:00h. The Trt regimen consisted of spraying SAEW at 14:00h for approximately 15 min at a dosage of 80 mL m-2; the Ctrlns regimen had no spraying; and the Ctrlw regimen consisted of spraying tap water following the same procedure as with Trt. Concentrations of airborne bacteria and PM were measured at 1.5 m above the floor in the center of the room. Airborne bacteria and PM concentrations in six size ranges (0.65-1.1, 1.1-2.1, 2.1-3.3, 3.3-4.7, 4.7-7.1, and > 7.1 μm) were measured at 13:45-14:00h and 14:45-15:00h for 15 min each. Compared to Ctrlns, spraying SAEW significantly reduced the airborne bacteria (> 2.1 μm) by up to 49±10% (P < 0.05), while Crtlw did not show the reduction effect. No significant difference was found between Trt and Ctrlw in reducing airborne PM, although both reduced or tended to suppress PM >7.1 μm in size. The results show that spraying SAEW can effectively inactivate airborne bacteria attached to the PM, thus is a promising technique for minimizing the adverse impacts of bioaerosols in aviary laying-hen housing systems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2013, ASABE 2013
PublisherAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Pages3718-3727
Number of pages10
ISBN (Print)9781627486651
StatePublished - 2013
EventAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2013 - Kansas City, MO, United States
Duration: Jul 21 2013Jul 24 2013

Publication series

NameAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2013, ASABE 2013
Volume5

Other

OtherAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2013
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityKansas City, MO
Period7/21/137/24/13

Keywords

  • Aviary systems
  • Bioaerosols
  • Dust
  • Poultry
  • Spraying

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Bioengineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Airborne particulate matter and bacteria reduction from spraying slightly acidic electrolyzed water in an experimental aviary laying-hen housing system'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this