title: Total dust and endotoxin in poultry operations: comparison between cage and floor housing and respiratory effects in workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to assess respiratory outcomes and environmental exposure levels of workers in cage-housed and floor-housed poultry operations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Poultry operations were evaluated for total dust, endotoxin, and ammonia, and respiratory symptoms and lung function tests of workers were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Workers in floor-housed poultry operations had significantly greater exposures to total dust and ammonia, whereas workers from cage-housed poultry operations reported greater frequency of current and chronic symptoms overall and significantly greater current and chronic phlegm (39% vs 18% and 40% vs 11%, respectively). Endotoxin concentration (EU/mg) was a significant predictor (P = 0.05) of chronic phlegm for all poultry workers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater endotoxin concentration in the presence of significantly lower total dust, in conjunction with greater respiratory symptoms in workers from cage-housed poultry operations, as compared with workers from floor-housed poultry operations, appears to indicate that differences in environmental exposures may impact respiratory outcomes of workers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Rural and Environmental Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Kirychuk@sask.usask.ca
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kirychuk
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dosman
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Willson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senthilselvan
authors.forename: J J R
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Feddes
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Classen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guenter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011200:Poultry; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012525:Saskatchewan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D004731:Endotoxins