Research Abstracts
List compiled from PubMed using search terms: swine or pork or pig or pigs and health and safety. Food safety, nutrition, and animal health, safety and wellbeing-related references removed.
Animal Handling
Chapman HM, Taylor EG, Buddle JR, Murphy DJ. 2007. Student training in large-animal handling at the school of veterinary and biomedical sciences, murdoch university, australia. J Vet Med Educ 34:576-582.
Abstract: The ability to handle animals safely, competently, and with confidence is an essential skill for veterinarians. Poor animal-handling skills are likely to compromise credibility, occupational health and safety, and animal welfare. In the five-year veterinary science degree at Murdoch University, animal handling is taught in a prerequisite unit in the second semester of the second year. From 2008, however, this unit will be taught in the first year of the five-year course. Students are taught to handle sheep, cattle, pigs, and horses safely and competently. Each student receives 30 hours of formal practical instruction. Animal-to-student ratios are 2:1, and staff-to-student ratios vary from 1:8 (sheep, cattle, horses) to 1:17 (pigs). Students must pass the practical exam to proceed into third year. Additional experience with animals is gained during third year (14 hours of practical instruction with sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle) and during the 5 weeks and 2 days of vacation farm experience during the second and third years. In the fourth and fifth years, students consolidate their handling experience with sheep (including rams), goats, pigs, cattle (including bulls), horses (including stallions), and alpacas. As a result, students are able to handle and restrain client animals with confidence. There is no formal course in small-animal handling at Murdoch University. Factors that have enhanced the success of the large-animal handling program include purpose-built on-campus facilities. Inadequate resources (time, facilities, and animals) remain the main impediment to effective learning, further compounded by the increasing tendency of university administrators to make decisions based on economic expediency rather than educational benefit
Hanlon A, Gath V, Mulligan F. 2007. Practical animal-handling classes at university college dublin. J Vet Med Educ 34:561-565.
Abstract: The first two years of the veterinary program at University College Dublin (UCD) include two modules whereby students gain experience in basic animal handling. Practical Animal Husbandry uses both lectures and animal handling classes aimed at teaching students to approach, restrain, and carry out routine husbandry procedures on food-producing and companion animals humanely and competently and to be aware of the risks to human health of inappropriate animal approach and handling. Staff and students are given lists of animal-handling competencies designed to ensure that students attain relevant handling skills for beef and dairy cattle, pigs, horses, sheep, cats, dogs, and exotics (e.g., rabbits, guinea pigs). Students are allotted up to 12 weeks of Farm and Companion Animal Experience, an extramural (EMS) activity, according to their prior experience; the objectives are to become proficient in the handling and management of animals and to develop an understanding of the key husbandry factors in food-production systems (milk, beef, lamb, pork) at the farm level. Students are assessed in practical examinations at the end of the second year and cannot progress until they have achieved the required competence. In addition to the pedagogic strategies, special consideration is given to the welfare of the animals used in teaching practicals and to the health and safety of teaching staff and students
Sweat JM, Abdy M, Weniger BG, Harrington R, Coyle B, Abuknesha RA, Gibbs EP. 2000. Safety testing of needle free, jet injection devices to detect contamination with blood and other tissue fluids. Ann N Y Acad Sci 916:681-682.
Abstract: Needle free jet injection guns have been used extensively in both veterinary and human health to deliver both vaccine and drugs, but in recent years, concerns have mounted for their potential to transmit blood borne disease agents among consecutive vaccinates. A Ped-O-Jet type jet injection device was used to deliver serial subcutaneous injections of 0.5 mL saline (as a surrogate for vaccine) into calves and pigs, with intervening ejectates collected in vials to represent what the next vaccinate would have received. An enzyme linked immunosorbant assay was developed to detect species specific albumin as a marker for blood, using calibration standards from known dilutions of bovine or porcine blood. Assay sensitivity of 20 pL/mL corresponded to the estimated minimal chimpanzee infectious dose of 10 pL for hepatitis B virus. The methodology and available results for evaluating the safety of jet injector devices are reported
Personal Protective Equipment
Achutan C, Tubbs RL. 2007. A task-based assessment of noise levels at a swine confinement. J Agromedicine 12:55-65.
Abstract: This study describes a task-based noise evaluation conducted at a community college that operated a small swine confinement for training and profit. Seven full-shift dosimeter samples and area noise data were collected during the evaluation. The time weighted average noise levels were all well below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit, but exceeded the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Recommended Exposure Limit on three of seven occasions. The potential for high noise exposures is evidenced in the noise dose measured for specific activities such as power washing, ear clipping, and snout snaring. When the data were extrapolated to depict exposures where specific tasks were carried out over a full shift, tasks such as power washing and snout snaring would exceed the OSHA Action Level (AL). Employees who exceed the OSHA AL are required to be enrolled in a hearing conservation program
Kaustell KO, Mattila TE, Rautiainen RH. 2007. Safety performance of animal confinement floors: slip, trip, and fall injuries in Finland. J Agric Saf Health 13:395-406.
Depczynski J, Franklin RC, Challinor K, Williams W, Fragar LJ. 2005. Farm noise emissions during common agricultural activities. J Agric Saf Health 11:325-334.
Abstract: Noise injury in agriculture is a significant yet often unrecognized problem. Many farmers, farm workers, and family members are exposed to noise levels above recommended levels and have greater hearing loss than their non-farming contemporaries. The aim of this study was to gather up-to-date information on farm noise levels and to enhance the quality of information available to assist farmers in reducing noise exposure and meeting Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations regarding noise management. Farm visits were conducted on 48 agricultural establishments that produce a range of commodities. Noise levels were measured at the ears of operators and bystanders involved in typical activities on farms. The average and peak noise levels were measured for 56 types of machinery or sites of farming activity, totaling 298 separate items and activities. Common noise hazards identified included firearms, tractors without cabs, workshop tools, small motors (e.g., chainsaws, augers, pumps), manual handling of pigs, shearing sheds, older cabbed tractors, and heavy machinery such as harvesters, bulldozers, and cotton module presses. We found that use of firearms without hearing protection presents a pressing hearing health priority. However, farming activities involving machinery used for prolonged periods also present significant risks to farmers' hearing health. Noise management strategies on the farm are essential in order to prevent noise injury among farmers
Humann MJ, Donham KJ, Jones ML, Achutan C, Smith BJ. 2005. Occupational noise exposure assessment in intensive swine farrowing systems: dosimetry, octave band, and specific task analysis. J Agromedicine 10:23-37.
Abstract: The scientific literature is lacking in published agricultural noise assessments for employees of swine confinement facilities that have included dosimeter data, octave band analysis, or specific task exposure assessments. This study reports on the former three types of noise assessments in the farrowing stage of swine. Dosimeter data on workers revealed all assessments to be greater than 90 decibels measured on the A-scale (dBA), which exceeds the 85 dBA National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limit (REL). RELs were exceeded for all of the employees monitored in the swine facility, as well as the part-time employees who power-washed the farrowing rooms. The recorded time-weighted values were actually underestimated slightly because the dosimeters were set to record only noise at 85 dBA and higher
Engineering
Abstract: Slip, trip, and fall (STF) injuries are common in agriculture. The aims of this study were to characterize STF injuries and to identify floor-related safety problems that can be reduced or eliminated through building design. Our material consisted of Finnish agricultural injury claim records for the period 1992-2002. The material included 6,414 slip, trip, and fall injuries that occurred in dairy, beef and swine production and were caused by floor structures. We examined coded information and injury descriptions to identify causes and contributing factors. The performance approach (PA) was used as a framework for discussing findings and their application to building design. PA provides a logic model for building design that considers the needs of workers, animals, and production processes. Nearly half (42%) of agricultural injuries occurred in dairy, beef, and swine production work. Fourteen percent of these injuries were slips, trips, and falls (STF) related to floor structures. More than 450 work years were lost due to disability resulting from these injuries. Many STF injuries occurred in milking (n = 1135), moving feeds (n = 962), and animal transport and care (n = 880). More than half (59%) of STF injuries occurred while carrying or moving a load. STF injury causes included floors, door sills, gutters, curbs, steps, ramps, grates, and contaminants like water, ice, snow, manure, detergent, forage, and hay. Men had a lower STF injury risk compared to women (RR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.61-0.67). The magnitude and nature of STF injuries suggest that there is a need for improving the safety performance of floors and related structures. Key areas include slip-resistant floorings, effective contamination control, macro structures (elevations, entrances, access ways), and logistics for materials handling and storage spaces
Food Safety
Fosse J, Seegers H, Magras C. 2008. Foodborne zoonoses due to meat: a quantitative approach for a comparative risk assessment applied to pig slaughtering in Europe. Vet Res 39:1.
Abstract: Foodborne zoonoses have a major health impact in industrialised countries. New European food safety regulations were issued to apply risk analysis to the food chain. The severity of foodborne zoonoses and the exposure of humans to biological hazards transmitted by food must be assessed. For meat, inspection at the slaughterhouse is historically the main means of control to protect consumers. However, the levels of detection of biological hazards during meat inspection have not been established in quantitative terms yet. Pork is the most frequently consumed meat in Europe. The aim of this study was to provide elements for quantifying levels of risk for pork consumers and lack of detection by meat inspection. Information concerning hazard identification and characterisation was obtained by the compilation and statistical analysis of data from 440 literature references. The incidence and severity of human cases due to pork consumption in Europe were assessed in order to calculate risk scores. A ratio of non-control was calculated for each biological hazard identified as currently established in Europe, i.e. the incidence of human cases divided by the prevalence of hazards on pork. Salmonella enterica, Yersinia enterocolitica and Campylobacter spp. were characterised by high incidence rates. Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum and Mycobacterium spp. showed the highest severity scores. The three main high risk hazards involved in foodborne infections, Y. enterocolitica, S. enterica and Campylobacter spp. are characterised by high non-control ratios and cannot be detected by macroscopic examination of carcasses. New means of hazard control are needed to complement the classical macroscopic examination
Dorea JG. 2006. Fish meal in animal feed and human exposure to persistent bioaccumulative and toxic substances. J Food Prot 69:2777-2785.
Abstract: Persistent and bioaccumulative toxic substances (PBTSs) that end up in fish are health hazards and the object of fish-consumption advisories. Some of these substances are present as extraneous contaminants, e.g., man-made lipophilic pollutants such as organohalogen pollutants, and others such as monomethyl mercury can be considered naturally occurring. Omnivores (e.g., poultry and swine) and especially ruminants that are fed contaminated fish meal can pass monomethyl mercury and organohalogen pollutants to eggs, meat, and dairy products. Differences in fish meal PBTS profiles and farm animal (e.g., poultry, swine, cattle, and farmed fish) physiology modulate PBTSs in animal products. Fish-consumption advisories issued to protect human health do not extend to fish by-products fed to farmed animals. Animals (especially farmed fish) that are fed fish meal can bioconcentrate monomethyl mercury in protein matrices, and organohalogen pollutants can be passed on in the fat components of derived foods. Policies to decrease exposure to monomethyl mercury and organohalogen pollutants must consider farming practices that use fish by-products. A risk assessment of toxic contaminants in fish meal may indicate that food safety objectives must consider the human health impact of foods derived from
Respiratory
Predicala B, Nemati M, Stade S, Lague C. 2007. Control of H(2)S emission from swine manure using Na-nitrite and Na-molybdate. J Hazard Mater.
Abstract: Biogenic production of hydrogen sulphide (H(2)S) in oil reservoirs (souring) has been shown to be controlled effectively using nitrite and molybdate salts. In the present work the effects of addition of nitrite and molybdate on reducing the emission of H(2)S from swine manure slurry was investigated in the laboratory and semi-pilot scale systems. Addition of 80mM nitrite or 2mM molybdate (final concentration in the manure slurry) to fresh manure in the laboratory scale closed systems (125mL and 4L) reduced the concentration of H(2)S in the headspace gas from 1500muLL(-1) to 10muLL(-1) which maintained during the remaining period of trials (40-60 days). With aged manure, similar results were achieved with a lower level of nitrite (10mM). Simultaneous or sequential additions of nitrite and molybdate to fresh manure had similar effects. Contrary to the systems simulating biological conditions in oil reservoirs in which simultaneous addition of nitrite and molybdate has been reported to have a synergistic effect, no synergism was observed when nitrite and molybdate were added to the manure simultaneously. Experiments with fresh manure slurry in the semi-pilot scale systems (200L) confirmed the effectiveness of this approach in which addition of 80mM nitrite or 2mM molybdate or a combination of 80mM nitrite and 2mM molybdate decreased the concentration of the H(2)S in the headspace gas from an initial value of 500muLL(-1) to a low level in the range 2-25muLL(-1) and maintained these low levels during the remaining period of trials (16 days). The concentration of ammonia (NH(3)) in the headspace gas of the treated systems was similar to that observed in the control system (untreated), indicating that the treatment did not have an effect on the level of present NH(3). Although the addition of nitrite or molybdate reduced emissions of H(2)S from swine manure and the associated health and safety concerns, it had little impact on the intensity of odour in the headspace gas samples from the semi-pilot scale system
McGarry HF. 2007. The murine local lymph node assay: regulatory and potency considerations under REACH. Toxicology 238:71-89.
Abstract: From June 2007, new chemicals legislation on the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals (REACH) will come into force across the European Union. This will require the submission of data on human health effects of chemicals, including chemical safety assessments which will require measurements of potency. For skin sensitization hazard identification, REACH states that the first-choice in vivo assay is the local lymph node assay (LLNA). This test has also been the UK competent authority's preferred test for skin sensitization since 2002, and has now replaced guinea pig tests in dossiers submitted to it under the Notification of New Substances Regulations. Advantages of the LLNA over guinea pig tests include improvements in animal welfare, a more scientific approach to hazard identification, and the inclusion of a dose-response element in the endpoint, which enables an estimation of potency. However, notifiers to the UK competent authority have sometimes been reluctant to use the assay because of concerns over false-positive reactions. Across Europe, these concerns have been heightened in the lead-up to the introduction of REACH, since the use of in vivo alternatives to the LLNA will require scientific justification. This review will address some of these concerns from a regulatory perspective
Taylor CD, Reynolds SJ. 2001. Comparison of a direct-reading device to gravimetric methods for evaluating organic dust aerosols in an enclosed swine production environment. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 16:78-83.
Abstract: The production of livestock in enclosed facilities has become an accepted practice, driven by the need for increased efficiency. Exposure to organic dusts, containing various bioactive components, has been identified an important risk factor for the high rate of lung disease found among workers in these environments. Assessment of organic dust exposure requires technical skills and instrumentation not readily available to most agricultural enterprises. Development of a simple, cost-effective method for measuring organic dust levels would be useful in evaluating and controlling exposures in these environments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the direct reading MIE PDM-3 Miniram for estimating organic dust concentrations in enclosed swine production facilities. Responses from the MIE PDM-3 Miniram were compared to gravimetric methods for total and inhalable dust. Total dust determinations were conducted in accordance with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) method 0500. Inhalable particulate mass (IPM) sampling was conducted using SKC brand IOM (Institute of Occupational Medicine) sampling cassettes, which meet the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ACGIH criteria for inhalable dust sampling. This study design also allowed for the comparison of traditional total dust method to the IPM method, in collecting organic dusts in an agricultural setting. Fifteen sets of side-by-side samples (Miniram, total dust, and IPM) were collected over a period of six months in a swine confinement building. There were statistically significant differences in the results provided by the three sampling methods. Measurements for inhalable dust exceeded those for total dust in eleven of fifteen samples. The Miniram time-weighted average (TWA) response to the organic dust was always the lower of the three methods. A high degree of correlation was found among all three methods. The Miniram performed well under field conditions of varying temperature and humidity. The Miniram has the potential to predict the inhalable and total dust concentrations, assuming a correction factor for the organic dust being measured is applied
Animal Health
Bhaduri S, Wesley I. 2006. Isolation and characterization of Yersinia enterocolitica from swine feces recovered during the National Animal Health Monitoring System Swine 2000 study. J Food Prot 69:2107-2112.
Abstract: A national study was conducted for the isolation of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in pig feces in the United States as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Swine 2000 study. Fecal samples collected from swine operations from September 2000 to March 2001 from 77 production sites in 15 of the top 17 swine-producing states were tested for the presence of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica. After enrichment of swine fecal samples in irgasan-ticarcillin-potassium chlorate broth, the enriched cultures were plated on cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar for isolation of presumptive Y. enterocolitica. The isolates were confirmed as pathogenic Y. enterocolitica by the fluorogenic 5' nuclease PCR assay targeting the chromosomal attachment invasion ail gene. Of 2793 fecal samples tested, 106 (3.80%) ail-positive strains of Y. enterocolitica were isolated. These 106 ail-positive isolates originated from 7 of the 15 participating states. The predominant serotype O:3 (n = 79 of 106) was distributed in five states (n = 5 of 7). Serotype O:5 (n = 27 of 106) was also found in five states (n = 5 of 7). All isolates contained the virulence plasmid and expressed virulence-associated phenotypic characteristics. These results indicate that swine in the United Stares harbor Y. enterocolitica that can potentially cause human illness
Noordhuizen JP, Frankena K. 1999. Epidemiology and quality assurance: applications at farm level. Prev Vet Med 39:93-110.
Abstract: Animal production is relevant with respect to farm income and the position of the sector in the market, but also with respect to the quality and safety of products of animal origin, related to public health. Animal production is part of a chain of food production. Therefore, producers have to take consumer expectations and demands in the domains of animal health, welfare and environment into account. A different attitude for production has to be adopted; this attitude can be visualized in good farming practice, GFP, codes. Farmers who focused on quality in its broadest sense need a system supporting them in their management and control of quality risks. Generally speaking, there are three systems for that purpose: GFP, ISO and HACCP. When the hypothesis followed relates to animal health being a feature of quality, or else welfare and environmental issues, then animal health care can be executed following quality control principles. The HACCP concept is well suited for quality control at farm level, involving risk identification and risk management. The on-farm monitoring and surveillance system of critical control points in the animal production process is the most important tool in this procedure. Principles for HACCP application as well as certification fitness of HACCP are elaborated upon. They are illustrated by using salmonellosis in meat-pig farms as objective for an HACCP approach. It is further discussed that, in addition to animal health and quality, animal welfare and environmental issues could also be covered by an HACCP-like system in an integrated manner. Ultimately, the HACCP modules could end up in an overall ISO certification
Human Health
Mygind K, Borg V, Flyvholm MA, Sell L, Jepsen KF. 2006. A study of the implementation process of an intervention to prevent work-related skin problems in wet-work occupations. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 79:66-74.
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present implementation study is to document how an intervention to reduce work-related skin problems by means of implementing an evidence-based skin protection programme in six gut-cleaning departments in swine slaughterhouses was understood, accepted and carried out. The association between the degree of implementation and the reduction of work-related skin problems in each department is examined. The intervention included a top-down strategy with establishment of a management system focusing on skin risks and a bottom-up strategy with participation of a selected group of shop floor workers and the safety representative, as change agents, as well as an empowerment-based educational programme, where the middle management and representatives from the top management also participated. METHODS: The study design was a randomized controlled intervention study with a 1-year study period. The outcome of the intervention was evaluated by telephone interviews. Data on the implementation process consisted of self-administered questionnaires, focus interviews and compiled written materials. Four indexes referring to the management system and the change agents' intervention activities were constructed. Finally, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to test the correlation between the degree of implementation and the eczema frequency at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant association (p < 0.05) between both the index for the combined implementation method and the eczema frequency after 1 year of intervention, and between the activities of the change agents and the eczema frequency. In contrast to this there was only a weak association between the establishment of a formal management system alone and the outcome. CONCLUSION: The study evidences that a combination of a top-down and a bottom-up implementation method is effective to reduce work-related skin problems, and that the process of implementation is a significant determinant of the overall results
Hankenson FC, Johnston NA, Weigler BJ, Di Giacomo RF. 2003. Zoonoses of occupational health importance in contemporary laboratory animal research. Comp Med 53:579-601.
Abstract: In contemporary laboratory animal facilities, workplace exposure to zoonotic pathogens, agents transmitted to humans from vertebrate animals or their tissues, is an occupational hazard. The primary (e.g., macaques, pigs, dogs, rabbits, mice, and rats) and secondary species (e.g., sheep, goats, cats, ferrets, and pigeons) of animals commonly used in biomedical research, as classified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, are established or potential hosts for a large number of zoonotic agents. Diseases included in this review are principally those wherein a risk to biomedical facility personnel has been documented by published reports of human cases in laboratory animal research settings, or under reasonably similar circumstances. Diseases are listed alphabetically, and each section includes information about clinical disease, transmission, occurrence, and prevention in animal reservoir species and humans. Our goal is to provide a resource for veterinarians, health-care professionals, technical staff, and administrators that will assist in the design and on-going evaluation of institutional occupational health and safety programs
Basketter DA, Smith Pease CK, Patlewicz GY. 2003. Contact allergy: the local lymph node assay for the prediction of hazard and risk. Clin Exp Dermatol 28:218-221.
Abstract: The prospective identification of potential contact allergens and their subsequent safety assessment are pivotal in successful management of this risk to human health. Although much can be learned from the chemical and physical properties of a substance, the definitive information in respect of sensitizing hazard/risk derives from an assessment of the integrated response of the immune system. In recent years, the focus for such assessments has begun to switch from the guinea pig to the mouse, notably to the local lymph node assay (LLNA). In this paper, the current value of the LLNA for hazard identification is reviewed and its regulatory status defined. Once a potential contact allergen has been identified, however, the vital clue to accurate safety evaluation is the assessment of the potency of the allergen. How this can be achieved using the LLNA and employed in safety evaluation is discussed in detail, together with practical suggestions for the deployment of such processes in regulatory toxicology
Moore JS, Garg A. 1996. Use of participatory ergonomics teams to address musculoskeletal hazards in the red meat packing industry. Am J Ind Med 29:402-408.
Abstract: Participatory ergonomics teams from two departments of a pork slaughtering plant analyzed musculoskeletal hazards and proposed ergonomics solutions for several jobs in the plant. The jobs were targeted based on association with a large number of injuries, one or more particularly severe injuries, high workers' compensation expenses, and/or high turnover plus absence of obvious solutions to abate the hazards. The teams used a structured problem-solving method that was generally derived from principles associated with quality improvement processes. Workers performing the targeted jobs were involved in the problem-solving process, even if they were not members of the team. The effectiveness of each team was assessed and compared in terms of the number of problem jobs addressed and feedback from team members. One team addressed all nine of its targeted jobs; the other team addressed eight of 12 targeted jobs. Feedback from team members regarding their teams' methods and performance was generally favorable. The major obstacle to effective team functioning in this project was the scheduling of meetings. There were also some obstacles related to team leadership. Overall, this project demonstrated that the use of participatory ergonomics teams that rely on structured problem-solving methods are able to work effectively to address musculoskeletal hazards, especially related to the upper extremities, in the red meat packing industry
Ferguson KJ, Scharf T. 1996. Intervention research in agriculture: examples from the swine confinement and respiratory health project. Am J Ind Med 29:386-391.
Abstract: The "Measurement and Analysis in Agricultural Interventions" workshop session of the "Intervention Research in Occupational Health and Safety: Science, Skills, Strategies" conference considered a variety of approaches to safety and health interventions in agriculture. The "Respiratory Health in Swine Confinement Project" in Iowa, an educational intervention to improve respiratory health and safety in swine confinement workers, was presented as a case study for the discussion. Results from the project were used to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of research techniques in interventions and program evaluation, including specific issues related to measurement and analysis. The discussion reflects comments from workshop participants along with summary observations reported to conference attendees. Themes of the session include the complementary nature of quantitative and qualitative techniques, and the importance of developing interventions that are community based
Chemical
Pestka JJ, Smolinski AT. 2005. Deoxynivalenol: toxicology and potential effects on humans. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev 8:39-69.
Abstract: Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that commonly contaminates cereal-based foods worldwide. At the molecular level, DON disrupts normal cell function by inhibiting protein synthesis via binding to the ribosome and by activating critical cellular kinases involved in signal transduction related to proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Relative to toxicity, there are marked species differences, with the pig being most sensitive to DON, followed by rodent > dog > cat > poultry > ruminants. The physiologic parameter that is most sensitive to low-level DON exposure is the emetic response, with as little as 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg body weight (bw) inducing vomiting in swine and dogs. Chinese epidemiological studies suggest that DON may also produce emetic effects in humans. With respect to chronic effects, growth (anorexia and decreased nutritional efficiency), immune function, (enhancement and suppression), and reproduction (reduced litter size) are also adversely affected by DON in animals, whereas incidence of neoplasia is not affected. When hazard evaluations were conducted using existing chronic toxicity data and standard safety factors employed for anthropogenic additives/contaminants in foods, tolerable daily intakes (TDIs) ranging from 1 to 5 microg/kg bw have been generated. Given that critical data gaps still exist regarding the potential health effects of DON, additional research is needed to improve capacity for assessing adverse health effects of this mycotoxin. Critical areas for future DON research include molecular mechanisms underlying toxicity, sensitivity of human cells/tissues relative to other species, emetic effects in primates, epidemiological association with gastroenteritis and chronic disease in humans, and surveillance in cereal crops worldwide
Enviornment
Petit J, van der Werf HM. 2003. Perception of the environmental impacts of current and alternative modes of pig production by stakeholder groups. J Environ Manage 68:377-386.
Abstract: The current industrial pig production model is in crisis, due to its association with environmental pollution, doubtful product quality and lack of animal well-being. In Bretagne (France), a region of intensive pig production, a survey of seven stakeholder groups concerned with pig production was conducted, as part of a research programme dedicated to the assessment of the environmental impact of different modes of pig production. A very large majority of pig producers (93%) and their suppliers (100%) considers pig farms as an asset for the region, whereas a majority of scientists (58%), activists (78%) and consumers (54%) sees it as a handicap. Differences among stakeholder groups are minor with respect to the perceived importance of environmental and social issues. Stakeholders agree on the relative level of responsibility of pig farms with respect to specific problems. For all groups unpleasant odours and water quality come first with respect to responsibility, for most groups soil quality comes second, followed by product safety and air quality. For a future improved mode of pig production, 76% of pig producers and their suppliers prefer to adapt the current model, for all other groups the majority prefers an alternative model. While pig producers and their suppliers prefer a slurry-based housing system, all other groups prefer a straw-based system. Pig producers see the slurry-based system as technically superior and associate the straw-based system with poor working conditions, whereas consumers associate the slurry-based system in the first place with poor water quality and associate the straw-based system with less pollution. These results will be of use in the research programme on the environmental impact of modes of pig production, as they indicate the environmental impacts to be considered and their relative importance. The results will also help in deciding which options should be assessed. It is concluded that the poor image of the current pig production model and its production practices with consumers does not seem compatible with a sustainable demand for pork products
|
