Reduction of airborne microorganisms by filtering recycled air in a chick hatcher.
An experimental chick hatcher designed to filter recycled ventilation air was tested for its effectiveness in reducing the number of viable airborne microorganisms. Chicks in a filtered hatcher and a control hatcher (no filter) were artificially contaminated with Serratia marcescens as ventilation air was recycled in the hatchers for twelve hours. The number of viable S. marcescens particles in the filtered air of the conditioning chamber was less than detectable. The number of viable airborne S. marcescens particles in the hatching chamber of the filtered hatcher indicated a reduction of greater than 90 percent over the number in the unfiltered hatcher. The filter was effective in reducing the number of airborne particles carrying viable S. marcescens organisms in the hatcher.
D000388:Air; D000391:Air Microbiology; D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation; D007185:Incubators / Q000295:instrumentation; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014691:Ventilation