Size-selective assessment of airborne particles in swine confinement building with the UVAPS

The Ultraviolet Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (UVAPS) is a novel aerosol counter for realtime monitoring of viable bioaerosols. The previous validation studies on the UVAPS were either laboratory based or were conducted outdoor with the artificially generated aerosols. In this study, the spectrometer was applied to investigate particulate pollution inside a swine confinement building (SCB). Real-time capabilities of the instrument were used to investigate the effect of on-farm-activities, such as an effluent flushing with recycled water, on microbial load inside the SCB. In addition to the UVAPS, monitoring of viable bioaerosols (bacteria and fungi) was simultaneously conducted with the sixstage Andersen microbial impactor and the AGI-30 impingers. The UVAPS measurements showed that the concentrations of both total and biological particles inside the SCB were in order of 106 -107 particles/ m3. These concentrations were approximately seven times the outside concentrations for total particles and up to 12 times for biological particles. Approximately 95 % of both total and biological particles were respirable (< 7mm) and approximately 60 % of total and 50 % of biological particles accounted for the fine particle fraction (