ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Analysis of Airborne Contamination with Bacteria
and Moulds in Poultry Farming: a Case Study
Kinga Plewa, Elżbieta Lonc
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Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, Departament of Microbial Ecology and Environmental Protection,
University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2011;20(3):725-731
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Our paper presents microbiological air pollution inside and outside two different poultry farms in Lower
Silesia, Poland. The smaller poultry house (A) with 18,000 broiler chickens was surrounded by a protective
green tree belt; the larger poultry house (45,000) was surrounded by a field without trees. Air samples were
taken at ten sampling sites using a MAS-100 air sampler (Merck) in the summer, autumn, and winter of 2009
and in spring 2010. Seasonal variations were observed in all locations with regard to the numerous microorganisms.
According to the Kruskal-Wallis test, the difference between the total number of bacteria in the
indoor air of the poultry houses and surrounding area was statistically significant. It has been stated that the
total number of heterotrophic bacteria (as CFU/m3) in distant points (10 m, 50 m, 100 m) in summer at houses
A and B was higher with regard to Polish Norms and ranged between between 6.0×103-2.6×104. Moreover,
nearly all sampling points in both poultry houses were presumed to be heavily contaminated by staphylocooci
(0-1.4×104). In relation to Polish Norms, the air in points situated near the poultry farms can be referred to as
highly-contaminated with fungal and bacterial microflora.