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Farmers, because of the day-to-day working
conditions, are at an added risk of occupational health problems resulting
from poor air quality. In a dairy barn, fine dust from hay and straw are hardly visible; but even if your eyes do not see fine dust particles, there is a large quantity of dust in the air.
In a dairy barn, fine dust from hay and straw are hardly visible.
With strong lighting, as from the sun's rays, the large quantity of dust can be seen. Health status of livestock producersA compilation of studies from Australia, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Scotland, the USA and Canada indicate very high levels of occupational respiratory problems in farm workers. About 1 dairy producer in 5 has bronchitis problems directly related to the in-barn air quality, 1 in 20 has asthma and 1 in 18 will develop some symptoms related to farmer's lung disease. It is even worse in pig barns.
BronchitisBronchitis is the most common complaint of farm workers. It is characterized by increased coughing and phlegm production. Cells lining the airways produce excess mucus to intercept and expel dust. Bronchitis symptoms usually occur in workers exposed for 2 or more hours a day to dusty barns. An "acute" response refers to a rapid or immediate reaction following exposure. When symptoms last at least three months per year, for at least three years. this is classified as "chronic bronchitis." Some producers suffer from airway obstruction, which may or may not accompany chronic bronchitis. The overproduction of mucus in the airways tends to reduce the airflow passage and contribute to shortness of breath. Occupational AsthmaOccupational asthma is caused by an increase in the reactivity of the airways. It is a special type of allergic response that develops in individuals with pre-existing, allergy-related asthma. However, most farmers develop these symptoms without having any pre-existing allergies. In these cases, an asthmatic attack (wheezing and contraction of the small airways) can result after one initial exposure to dust components. In others, months or years may pass before the individual has become sensitized to the allergen. The muscle cells, responding to irritation in the airways, become inflamed and enlarged, then constrict. The constriction causes airways to become narrower and we hear wheezing as air goes in and out. The constriction causes the tight feeling in the chest. Persons who readily develop allergies, such as mite allergy or hay fever, or have had eczema or asthma as a child may be affected severely by both asthma and bronchitis. Farmer's Lung DiseaseThe most well-known example of these particles are the actinomycete spores which cause farmer's lung disease. They have all the worst properties of a dangerous dust: they are very fine particles, are usually present in large numbers, and can cause a substantial reaction in the human immune system. When hay is not dry enough, and the drying process takes more than 5 to 6 days, heat builds up and causes large amounts of molds and dust. When this moldy hay is later fed to cattle, a worker can inhale an average of about 750,000 dust particles per minute. Potentially most of these fine dust particles can go deeply into the lungs. The symptoms of farmer's lung disease are similar to a cold or flu: shortness of breath caused by congested lungs, cough, possible fever and occasional nausea. Most importantly, the symptoms do not strike during or immediately following the exposure to the moldy hay. Instead, they occur approximately 4 to 8 hours later. Furthermore, this is an allergic reaction and therefore, farmers with farmer's lung disease will have antibodies in their blood to one or more harmful spores found in moldy hay. A doctor could confirm a diagnosis of farmer's lung disease by performing: (1) a blood test (antibodies), (2) a pulmonary biopsy (study of the alveoli), and (3) X-rays of the lungs (observe scaring in the lung tissues). There are two stages in farmer's lung disease - the acute and the chronic. The acute stage involves a single attack of the symptoms following exposure to moldy hay, which normally resolve within 48 hours or so. When a person has farmer's lung disease in the chronic stage, he or she has permanent lung damage. This stage may develop following a series of acute attacks, or it may develop slowly, without warning. In many cases the disease is first evident at this stage, without the patient ever experiencing an acute attack. ConclusionIn Canada there is evidence that numerous farm workers involved with livestock production are directly affected by poor indoor air quality. Between 2 and 10% of dairy farmers show some symptoms of farmer's lung disease and 0.5 to 1% have or will develop some critical reactions and pulmonary capacity reduction over their farming career. Moldy hay, straw and grain produce large amounts of harmful dust but even good fresh hay contains some molds and produces some dust. Pig farmers are even at higher risk and suffer from bronchitis, occupational asthma and from the organic dust toxic syndrome. Operators in poultry buildings are also at risk because the highest levels of dust and endotoxins are present in the air during the working time. It is strongly recommended that producers wear a respiratory protection system such as a Trend® Air Shield. AcknowledgementsMinistry of Food & Agriculture Fact Sheet.
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