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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Poultry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #398390
Research Project: Intervention Strategies to Mitigate Avian Escherichia coli Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Poultry Environment

Location: Poultry Research

Title: Effect of ultraviolet radiation on reducing airborne Escherichia coli carried by poultry litter particles

Author
item NGUYEN, XUAN - University Of Tennessee
item ZHAO, YANG - University Of Tennessee
item Evans, Jeffrey - Jeff
item LIN, JUN - University Of Tennessee
item VOY, BRYNN - University Of Tennessee
item Purswell, Joseph - Jody

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/10/2022
Publication Date: 11/16/2022
Citation: Nguyen, X.D., Zhao, Y., Evans, J.D., Lin, J., Voy, B., Purswell, J.L. 2022. Effect of ultraviolet radiation on reducing airborne Escherichia coli carried by poultry litter particles. Animals. 12(22):3170. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223170.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223170

Interpretive Summary: Escherichia coli (E. coli) associated with airborne particles are a threat to poultry species. This study examined the ability of UV light (254 nm) to inactivate airborne E. coli carried by poultry dust particles. A newly designed system was used to assess the inactivation rates of UV light. E. coli inactivation was tested at different contact times (0.23-5.62 seconds) and different UV irradiance levels (of 6,384 µW cm-2 or 12,769 µW cm-2). The airborne E. coli was reduced significantly for all treatments with UV lamps. The inactivation rates can reach over 99.87% and 99.95% at 21 ± 4 ft min-1 wind speed with of 6,384 µW cm-2 and 12,769 µW cm-2. The results may provide an insightful understanding of the UV effect on airborne E. coli.

Technical Abstract: : Airborne Escherichia coli (E. coli) originating in poultry houses can be transmitted outside poultry farms through the air, posing risks of barn-to-barn infection through airborne transmission. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of ultraviolet UV (UV) light on the inactivation of airborne E. coli carried by poultry dust particles under laboratory conditions. A system containing two chambers that were connected by a UV scrubber was designed in the study. In the upstream chamber of the system, airborne E. coli attached to dust particles were aerosolized by a dry aerosolization-based system. Two sets of air samplers were placed in the two chambers to collect the viable airborne E. coli. By comparing the concentration of airborne E. coli in the two chambers, the inactivation rates were calculated. The airborne E. coli inactivation rates were tested at different contact times with the aid of a vacuum pump (from 5.62 to 0.23 s of contact time) and different UV irradiance levels (of 6,384 µW cm-2 or 12,769 µW cm-2). The inactivation rates varied from over 99.87% and 99.95% at 5.62 s of contact time with 6,384 µW cm-2 and 12,769 µW cm-2 of UV irradiance to 72.90% and 86.60% at 0.23 s of contact time with 6,384 µW cm-2 and 12,769 µW cm-2 of UV irradiance. The designed system was able to create the average UV irradiation of 6,384 µW cm-2 and 12,769 µW cm-2 for one UV lamp and two UV lamps, respectively. The findings of this study may provide an understanding of the effect of UV light on the inactivation of airborne E. coli carried by dust particles and help to design an affordable mitigation system for poultry houses.