[The dust and microbial content in a horse stable during the use of a dust-binding agent].

This research investigates the effectiveness of a commercial dust-binding agent in horse stables to reduce airborne dust and microbial content, which can contribute to pulmonary diseases. While the product visibly reduced dust during nighttime, total dust content over a 24-hour period increased.

Study Design and Methodology

• The pilot study was conducted over two weeks, using a private horse stable that houses three horses. The first week was the control phase, where no dust-binding agent was employed. The second week involved the use of the dust-binding agent Revesto pur.
• Throughout the study, airborne dust levels were measured continuously with an instrument. Daily estimations of airborne germs were done every morning at 7:00 a.m.

Key Findings

• The results revealed a significant reduction in airborne dust during the night (from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) when the agent was used, falling to 0.03 mg/m3 from the control value of 0.05 mg/m3.
• Contrarily, the total dust content over a 24-hour period actually increased after the use of the dust-binding agent to 0.12 mg/m3 from a control phase level of 0.07 mg/m3.
• There was a receptiveness towards a decrease in airborne germs after the application of the agent.

Considerations and Conclusions

• The data suggests that utilizing the dust-binding agent significantly increases the total dust present in the air over a 24-hour period, despite visibly reducing the dust during the night. This suggests that the dust-binding agent is releasing additional dust particles into the air over time.
• Using the sprayers, in which the dust-binding agent is applied, was observed to be quite time-consuming, adding to logistical limitations. There were also indications of an increase in air-deposited particles after using the sprayer inside the barn, leading the researchers to suggest applying the product outside the stable.
• The study calls for more comprehensive investigations to validate the initial findings and explore possible positive clinical effects of reducing dust during the night.