Search

The article discusses the design and use of the Personal Environmental Sampling Backpack (PESB II) for activity-specific exposure monitoring of career pig barn workers. Career pig barn workers in large confinement barns are exposed to airborne contaminants that need to be quantified. Monitoring instrumentation had to be sanitized to satisfy the biosecurity entrance requirements for pig barns. A major redesign of the PESB I was found necessary based on field experience, despite the successful proof of concept for a personal sampling system that would satisfy the strict biosecurity protocols of today's agricultural facilities. The redesign sought to reduce the mass and volume, improve data logging capability with increased sampling frequency and memory storage capability, simplify data downloading, enhance carbon dioxide monitoring capability, and add hydrogen sulphide monitoring. The PESB II is a reliable monitoring system for measuring air contaminants in intensive livestock operations. It accurately captures the respirable dust count, carbon dioxide, RH, and external temperature exposures of workers at 10 second intervals and hydrogen sulphide at 20 second intervals, as well as full work shift respirable dust mass and endotoxin exposures.