The air quality in pig housing facilities has an impact on the respiratory health of workers in this sector. By going from a traditional production mode to industrial type production, workers are exposed to massive concentrations of dusts, endotoxins and microorganisms. This exposure is responsible for numerous respiratory problems, such as chronic bronchitis, a reduction in respiratory function, and organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS).
Archaebacteria are organisms much like classical bacteria (structure and size), but are usually found in thermal springs, acid environments and the gastrointestinal tract of mammals. The discovery of very high concentrations of this type of microorganism in the air of pig housing facilities opens a new avenue in the study of bioaerosols in the workplace.
This research project will evaluate whether archaebacteria are common in other environments (dairy farms, wastewater purification plants). The archaebacteria will be identified and quantified using molecular methods. Also, the researchers will study worker sensitization to the archaebacteria found in their respective workplaces. This study will be the first in the world to document the presence of archaebacteria in the workplace and the role that these microorganisms could play in workers’ respiratory health.