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Abstract
The growth of the poultry processing industry was possible because of veterinary preventive medicine techniques and improvements in breeding, feed conversion, housing, and marketing practices. Increased production of broilers has caused an increase in the amount of airborne contaminants to which poultry processing workers (growers, catchers, and hangers) are exposed. The purposes of this research were to evaluate the exposures experienced by poultry processing workers in North Carolina and to recommend control measures for reducing exposures below levels considered to be safe. Exposure estimates were compared to 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) limits of 10 mg/m3 for total dust, 5 mg/m3 for respirable dust, 10 ng/m3 for bacterial endotoxin, and 25 ppm for ammonia with a STEL of 35 ppm.
Personal sampling at 22 North Carolina poultry farms involving 26 growers produced geometric mean 8-hour TWA concentrations of 11.6 mg/m3 for inhalable dust, 0.60 mg/m3 for respirable dust, 100 ng/m3 for inhalable endotoxin, 3 ng/m3 for respirable endotoxin, and 19 ppm for ammonia. Personal sampling of 36 chicken catchers produced geometric mean 8-hour TWA concentrations of 20.2 mg/m3 for inhalable dust, 1.75 mg/m3 for respirable dust, 250 ng/m3 for inhalable endotoxin, 13 ng/m3 for respirable endotoxin, and 6 ppm for ammonia. Personal sampling of six chicken hangers produced geometric mean 8-hour TWA concentrations of 17 mg/m3 for inhalable dust and 830 ng/m3 for inhalable endotoxin. These data suggest that North Carolina poultry growers, catchers, and hangers may be at risk of experiencing respiratory dysfunction. Until engineering and administrative control methods are developed, the use of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/Mine Safety and Health Administration (NIOSH/MSHA)-approved respiratory protection is likely the most practical and feasible method available for protecting poultry growers and catchers. Effective local exhaust ventilation systems should be used to protect the health of poultry hangers. Wetting chickens prior to shackling them, routine cleaning of cages and crates, and using NIOSH/MSHA-approved respiratory protection can supplement local exhaust ventilation.
