Journal article
A wearable real-time particulate monitor demonstrates that soaking hay reduces dust exposure
Equine veterinary journal, Vol.57(4), pp.1065-1073
07/2025
DOI: 10.1111/evj.14425
PMCID: PMC12135757
PMID: 39463012
Abstract
Background
Affordable particulate matter (PM) monitors suitable for use on horses will facilitate the evaluation of PM mitigation methods and improve the management of equine asthma.
Objective
Calibrate a real-time wearable PM monitor (Black Beauty [BB]) and compare the PM exposures of horses fed dry or soaked hay.
Study design
Laboratory calibration; complete cross-over feed trial.
Methods
Side-by-side sampling with BB monitors and tapered element oscillating microbalances (TEOMs) was performed under varying concentrations of PM from alfalfa hay. Linear regression was used to derive a calibration formula for each unit based on TEOM PM measurements. Precision was evaluated by calculating the coefficient of variation and pairwise correlation coefficients between three BB monitors. PM exposure was measured at the breathing zone of 10 horses for 8 h after they were fed dry or soaked hay. Repeated measures generalised linear models were constructed to determine the effect of hay treatment and measurement duration (initial 20-min vs. 8-h) upon exposure to PM with diameters smaller than or equal to 10 μm (PM10) and 2.5 μm (PM2.5).
Results
BB monitor PM2.5 and PM10 measurements were linearly correlated with TEOM data (coefficient of determination r2 > 0.85 and r2 > 0.90 respectively), but underestimated PM2.5 mass concentrations by a factor of 4 and PM10 concentrations by a factor of 44. Measures from the three BB monitors had a coefficient of variation <15% and pairwise r > 0.98. Feeding soaked hay significantly reduced average PM2.5 exposures (20-min: dry: 160 μg/m3, soaked: 53 μg/m3, p < 0.0001; 8-h: dry: 76 μg/m3, soaked: 31 μg/m3, p = 0.0008) and PM10 exposures (20-min: dry: 2829 μg/m3, soaked: 970 μg/m3, p < 0.0001; 8-h: dry: 1581 μg/m3, soaked: 488 μg/m3, p = 0.008).
Main limitations
No health outcome measures were collected.
Conclusions
With appropriate corrections, the BB monitor can be used to estimate horse PM exposure. While 20-min measurements yielded higher estimates of exposure than 8-h measurements, both intervals demonstrate that soaking hay reduces PM exposures by more than 50%.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A wearable real-time particulate monitor demonstrates that soaking hay reduces dust exposure
- Creators
- Kathleen M Ivester - Purdue University West LafayetteJi-Qin Ni - Purdue University West LafayetteLaurent L Couetil - Purdue University West LafayetteThomas M Peters - University of IowaMarcus Tatum - University of IowaLynn Willems - Purdue University West LafayetteJae Hong Park - Purdue University West Lafayette
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Equine veterinary journal, Vol.57(4), pp.1065-1073
- DOI
- 10.1111/evj.14425
- PMID
- 39463012
- PMCID
- PMC12135757
- NLM abbreviation
- Equine Vet J
- ISSN
- 0425-1644
- eISSN
- 2042-3306
- Publisher
- WILEY; HOBOKEN
- Grant note
- 210553 / Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation 7000907 / USDA National Institue of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project State of Indiana and Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine Research Account
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 10/27/2024
- Date published
- 07/2025
- Academic Unit
- Occupational and Environmental Health; Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984740059902771
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