Particulate Matter (PM) Measurement
Measurements were performed using a
portable direct-reading equipment (Lighthouse,
model 3016 IAQ) to measure five different
sizes (PM0.5, PM1.0, PM2.5, PM5.0, PM10).
This option was chosen because differentiation
between particle size fractions is important in
order to estimate with more detail the possible
penetration of dust into and within the respiratory
system. The measurements were conducted
near the workers’ noses and during their
presence in the buildings performing different
tasks. In most of the swine farms, three or more
measurements were taken and mean values
were obtained for each particle size. All measurements
were conducted continuously with
a duration of 5 min. In all swine farms studied,
workers did not use respiratory protection
devices.