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Microbial dynamics and climatic interactions in pig sheds: Insights into airborne microbes and particulate matter concentrations

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Abstract

Emissions of airborne pollutants from livestock buildings affect indoor air quality, the health and well-being of farmers, animals and the environment. This study aimed to evaluate the microbial count within pig sheds and its relationship with meteorological variables (temperature, relative humidity and air velocity) and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and microbial diversity. Sampling was conducted both inside and outside of two pig sheds over three seasons (summer, rainy and winter), with regular monitoring at fortnightly intervals. Results showed that the bacterial and fungal counts ranged from 0.07 to 3.98 x 103 cfu/m3 inside the sheds and 0.01 to 1.82 x 103 cfu/m3 outside. Seasonal variations were observed, with higher concentrations of particulate matter detected during the winter season, followed by summer. Climatic variables such as temperature, air velocity and relative humidity demonstrated significant impacts on the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and fungi, while air velocity specifically influenced the presence of mesophilic bacteria and staphylococci. Importantly, no significant disparities were found between microbial counts and particulate matter levels. Staphylococcaceae emerged as the predominant bacterial family, while Aspergillus and Cladosporium spp. were the dominant fungal species within the pig sheds. The average levels of airborne bacteria and fungi in pig sheds were found to be within the recommended range, which can be attributed to the loose housing design and lower animal population on the farms.

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Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article. The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgement

The authors are immensely thankful to the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, for providing necessary guidelines and facilities to carry out the present study.

Funding

No external funding was acquired for completing the research. All research was done within the institute of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Livestock Production Management, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

    Sarishti Katwal & Yashpal Singh

  2. Centre for One Health, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

    Jasbir Singh Bedi

  3. Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

    Mudit Chandra

  4. Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

    Mrigank Honparkhe

Authors
  1. Sarishti Katwal
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  2. Yashpal Singh
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  3. Jasbir Singh Bedi
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  4. Mudit Chandra
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  5. Mrigank Honparkhe
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Contributions

All the authors contributed to the study conception and design. Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing— Original draft preparation, Formal analysis were done by Sarishti Katwal. Investigation and supervision were done by Yashpal Singh. Microbial sample processing resources were provided by J.S. Bedi. MALDI-TOF analysis was done by Mudit Chandra. Review & Editing was done by M. Honparkhe.

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Correspondence to Sarishti Katwal.

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Katwal, S., Singh, Y., Bedi, J.S. et al. Microbial dynamics and climatic interactions in pig sheds: Insights into airborne microbes and particulate matter concentrations. Environ Monit Assess 196, 511 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12624-z

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