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Home / Equine Research Bank / Environ Monit Assess / Microbiological quality of air in free-range and box-stall s...
Environmental monitoring and assessment2018; 190(5); 269; doi: 10.1007/s10661-018-6644-0

Microbiological quality of air in free-range and box-stall stable horse keeping systems.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological quality of air in three horse riding centers differing in the horse keeping systems. The air samples were collected in one facility with free-range horse keeping system and two with box stalls of different sizes. The samples were collected over a period of 3 years (2015-2017), four times per year (spring, summer, autumn, winter) to assess the effect of seasonal changes. The prevalence of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, mold fungi, actinomycetes, Staphylococcus spp., and Escherichia coli was determined by the air collision method on Petri dishes with appropriate microbiological media. At the same time, air temperature, relative humidity, and particulate matter concentration (PM10, PM2.5) were measured. It was found that the horse keeping system affects the occurrence of the examined airborne microorganisms. Over the 3-year period of study, higher temperature and humidity, as well as particulate matter concentration-which notoriously exceeded limit values-were observed in the facilities with the box-stall system. The air sampled from the largest horse riding center, with the largest number of horses and the box-stall system of horse keeping, was also characterized by the heaviest microbiological contamination. Among others, bacteria from the following genera: Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Bacillus spp., and E. coli and fungi from the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, Mucor, Rhizopus, Penicillium, Trichothecium, Cladosporium, and Alternaria were identified in the analyzed samples.
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Publication Date: 2018-04-07 PubMed ID: 29627901PubMed Central: PMC5889767DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6644-0Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article is about the impact of different horse keeping systems on the microbiological quality of air within horse riding centers, and how these systems might influence the prevalence of certain airborne microorganisms.

Objective of the Study

  • The aim of the research was to investigate how varying horse keeping methods influence the microbiological quality of the air in three different horse riding centers. Specifically, the study sought to compare a free-range horse keeping system with two box stall systems of different sizes.

Methodology

  • The research was conducted over a period of three years, from 2015 to 2017.
  • During this period, air samples were collected from the facilities four times a year in different seasons to studt the effect of seasonal changes.
  • The air samples were analyzed for the presence of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, mold fungi, actinomycetes, Staphylococcus spp., and Escherichia coli.
  • In addition, each facility’s air temperature, relative humidity, and particulate matter concentration were measured.

Findings

  • The results showed that the method of horse keeping significantly impacted the incidence of the studied airborne microorganisms.
  • The facilities using the box-stall keeping system had higher temperature and humidity levels over the three-year period. These facilities also recorded higher concentrations of particulate matter that consistently exceeded limit values.
  • The heaviest microbiological contamination was detected in the largest horse riding center, which had the most horses and utilized a box-stall horse keeping system.
  • Among the microorganisms identified were bacteria from the genera Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, and E. coli, and fungi from the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, Mucor, Rhizopus, Penicillium, Trichothecium, Cladosporium, and Alternaria.

Implications

  • This research implies that the method of horse keeping can have significant implications for the air quality in power riding centers, with box-stall systems potentially creating an environment more conducive to the proliferation of various microorganisms.
  • This suggests a need for stricter control measures or potential adjustments to horse-keeping methodologies to ensure healthier and cleaner air quality, particularly in larger centers using box-stall systems.

Cite This Article

APA
Wolny-Koładka K. (2018). Microbiological quality of air in free-range and box-stall stable horse keeping systems. Environ Monit Assess, 190(5), 269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6644-0

Publication

Environmental monitoring and assessment
ISSN: 1573-2959
NlmUniqueID: 8508350
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 190
Issue: 5
Pages: 269

Researcher Affiliations

Wolny-Koładka, Katarzyna
  • Department of Microbiology, University of Agriculture in Cracow, Mickiewicza Ave 24/28, 30-059, Cracow, Poland. katarzyna.wolny@urk.edu.pl.

MeSH Terms

  • Air Microbiology
  • Animal Husbandry / statistics & numerical data
  • Animals
  • Aspergillus
  • Bacteria
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Escherichia coli
  • Fungi / classification
  • Horses
  • Humidity
  • Penicillium
  • Temperature

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Rios Valle DI, Medina EYG, Advíncula Zeballos O. Airborne fungal concentrations around the Modelo Callao Landfill. Heliyon 2024 Oct 30;10(20):e38186.
    doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38186pubmed: 39640674google scholar: lookup
  2. Mańkowska A, Witkowska D. The Most Common Environmental Risk Factors for Equine Asthma-A Narrative Review. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jul 14;14(14).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14142062pubmed: 39061524google scholar: lookup
  3. Grzyb J, Podstawski Z, Bulski K. Fungal aerosol and particulate matter in horse stables in Poland. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024 Jul 24;108(1):426.
    doi: 10.1007/s00253-024-13258-4pubmed: 39046596google scholar: lookup
  4. Grzyb J, Pawlak K. Staphylococci and fecal bacteria as bioaerosol components in animal housing facilities in the Zoological Garden in Chorzów. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021 Oct;28(40):56615-56627.
    doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-14594-ypubmed: 34061267google scholar: lookup
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