The Influence of a Particle Separation Technology on the Generation of Airborne Particles from Different Roughages and Bedding Materials Used for Horses

Four different types of bedding materials (wheat straw, wood shavings, hemp shives, flax shives) and two roughages (hay, haylage) were treated using an air-driven particle separation technology. The airborne particle and mold generation of both treated and untreated samples were then analyzed under standardized laboratory conditions. In addition, samples of all the treated materials were stored for 8 weeks either in a pressed or incoherent form and then analyzed again for their ability to generate airborne particles. The airborne particle concentrations were detected online with the gravimetrically measuring analyzer tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) 1400a that was equipped successively with different inlets to measure the particle fractions PM20, PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0 (PM = Particulate matter). The particle separation resulted in a reduction in the airborne particle (PM20) generation in all materials: hay 49.16 to 22.79 mg/m3 (53.6%), haylage 28.57 to 25.04 mg/m3 (12.3%), wood shavings 141.68 to 15.04 mg/m3 (89.4%), wheat straw 143.08 to 22.97 mg/m3 (83.9%), flax 135.11 to 53.31 mg/m3 (60.5%), and hemp 63.67 to 17.64 mg/m3 (72.3%). The 8-week storage of the treated materials as compressed materials led to a renewed significant increase in the airborne particle (PM10) concentration in the haylage (+29.9%), wheat straw (+104.0%), wood shavings (+40.4%), and hemp shives (+30.7%). Storage of the incoherent materials caused a significant increase in these particles only in the wheat straw (+44.2%). The separation treatment reduced the mold production by 92.4% in the wood shavings, 88.0% in the wheat straw, and 85.8% in the hay.