Poultry Dust and Lung Health

The air quality on livestock operations can be suboptimal. If you didn’t have a respirator with you, you might have tried to use a dust mask, handkerchief or even your shirt to help filter out the dust.

Did you know?

Dust masks and shirts are not NIOSH approved filtering facepiece respirators. They can be used for comfort against non-toxic nuisance dust during mowing, gardening, sweeping, or dusting. These are NOT respirators and do not offer the protection needed against hazardous dusts, gases, or vapors like those produced in poultry houses. ¹

This hazardous dust not only makes it hard to breathe, but it can also make you sick and potentially lead to lung disease. Poultry house dust is a complex mixture of animal dander, feed particles, animal waste, and bacteria.

Our research has found that poultry house dust contains extremely small particles (nanoparticles), known as bacterial extracellular vesicles, that are released by the bacteria. ²

Even though you can’t see them, inhalation of these bacterial particles could damage the lungs.

Ammonia is also prevalent in poultry houses, especially during the winter months. It is considered an irritant and readily impacts the eyes and respiratory tract. ³

How can you protect yourself?
- Wearing a N95 or P100 disposable filtering facepiece respirator can help against these harmful air pollutants.
- Replace a respirator or filter when it is visibility dirty or damaged or when you experience difficulty breathing through it.
- Never wash or try to blow out respirators or filters.
- Inspect your respirator/mask regularly for worn out straps, cracks, or dents. Store in a cool, clean, dry place.
- Replace cartridges when you can smell or taste chemicals or dust while or after using or according to the manufacturer recommendations.
A P100 cartridge in combination with a reusable respirator can provide maximum filtration against dust and other particles. Though a P100 offers the highest form of protection, a disposable N95 respirator offers considerable protection at a lower cost.

An ammonia cartridge combined with an N95 or P100 particulate filter provides protection from ammonia and organic dust.

Learn more and find additional resources here.

This project was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health through the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education at UTHealth Northeast (Cooperative Agreement U54 OH07541)

1.Dust Mask vs. Respirator
2.Bacterial extracellular vesicles isolated from organic dust induce neutrophilic inflammation in the lung
3.Respiratory Health on the Poultry Farm
4.Respirator Selection Quick Reference Guide