Evaluation of Environmental Circumstance Within Swine and Chicken Houses in South Korea for the Production of Safe and Hygienic Animal Food Products

This study was undertaken to determine the concentrations of airborne bacteria, fungi, particles, and endotoxin in swine and chicken houses. Six swine buildings and seven chicken houses were randomly selected in southern Gyonggi Province, South Korea. The geometric mean concentrations of airborne bacteria in swine and chicken houses were and , respectively. The airborne bacteria concentrations in chicken houses were significantly higher than those of swine houses (p, which was higher than the value of found in chicken houses. The mean concentrations of airborne particles and endotoxin in swine houses were and , and they were and in chicken houses, respectively. A significant difference between swine and chicken houses was found for total dust (p suggested in previous studies. These results may indicate a considerable respiratory hazard for workers in these environments.