Effect of inlet-outlet configurations on the cross-transmission of airborne bacteria between animal production buildings

Zonggang Li; Yang Wang; Weichao Zheng; Hongning Wang; Baoming Li; Chang Liu; Yuxin Wang; Changwei Lei

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128372

Effect of inlet-outlet configurations on the cross-transmission of airborne bacteria between animal production buildings

J Hazard Mater. 2022 May 5:429:128372. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128372. Epub 2022 Jan 29.

Authors

Zonggang Li¹, Yang Wang², Weichao Zheng³, Hongning Wang⁴, Baoming Li⁵, Chang Liu⁵, Yuxin Wang⁵, Changwei Lei⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China; Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Animal-Derived Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
² Beijing Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Animal-Derived Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
³ College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China; Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, Beijing, China. Electronic address: weichaozheng@cau.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China; Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan, China.
⁵ College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China; Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, Beijing, China.

PMID: 35236040
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128372

Abstract

Cross-transmission of airborne pathogens between buildings facilitates the spread of both human and animal diseases. Rational spatial arrangement of buildings and air inlet-outlet design are well-established preventive measures, but the effectiveness of current configurations for mitigating pathogens cross-transmission is still under assessment. An intensive field study in a laying hen farm was conducted to elucidate the spatial distribution of airborne bacteria (AB) and the source of AB at the inlets under different wind regimes. We found higher concentrations of AB at the interspace and sidewall inlets of buildings with sidewall exhaust systems than at those with endwall exhaust systems. We observed significant differences in bacterial diversity and richness at the interspace and sidewall inlets between buildings with side exhaust systems and those with endwall exhaust systems. We further found that the AB emitted from buildings could translocate to the sidewall inlets of adjacent building to a greater extent between buildings with sidewall exhaust systems than between those with endwall exhaust systems. Our findings revealed that sidewall exhaust systems aggravate cross-transmission of AB between buildings, suggesting that endwall exhaust systems or other compensatory preventive measures combined with sidewall exhaust systems could be a better choice to suppress airborne cross-transmission.

Keywords: Airborne bacteria; Concentrated animal feeding operations; Cross-transmission; Inlet-outlet configurations; Wind regimes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Microbiology*
Animal Diseases* / transmission
Animals
Bacteria
Chickens
Female
Housing, Animal*
Wind