Quantifying the airborne constituents in the occupational environment
by determining bioaerosols, dust, and odorants (volatile
compounds) has important implications for evaluating the potential
health risk to exposed people and animals and to animal productivity.
Evaluating the exposure to known health hazards in
the work environment allows identification of minimum achievable
levels of exposure to the hazardous agent that are compatible
with the suite of activities and management practices (new and
old) in the production cycle. As new management practices are
implemented, their effectiveness and impacts can be determined
and possibly improved to meet target action levels. With land
application of manure, clearly a liquid that has been treated to significantly
reduce the number of fecal indicator microorganisms
and/or pathogen concentration would be an example of a best
available practice. Such treatment is unlikely to eliminate endotoxin.
However, with unconstrained atmospheric dilution outdoors,
maintaining elevated concentrations of temporary releases
of endotoxin would be difficult. Odorants may remain a challenge
for land application of unstabilized liquids in developed locations
with residents nearby. Data on land spreading of poultry litter