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Dust entry

Hay dust

Settled and airborne agricultural dust generated from hay and wheat-straw processing.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

farmer's lung riskrespiratory disease riskendotoxin exposureinflammatory response concern

Evidence

A NIOSH-indexed study found that hay dust contained higher concentrations of bacteria, thermophilic actinomycetes, and fungi than comparison rice dust, with elevated endotoxin in all samples. Hay-dust extracts activated human serum complement more strongly, and the authors concluded that microbial and endotoxin content suggested risk for farmer’s lung or other respiratory diseases.

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Abstract · 1
The hay dust samples contained higher concentrations of bacteria, thermophilic actinomycetes, and fungi than the rice dust samples. ... Elevated endotoxin concentrations were found in all samples ... hay dust being more potent. ... workers exposed to the dusts may be at risk for farmer's lung or other respiratory diseases.

HSE's 2025 respiratory-disease statistics identify farmer's lung as a common form of occupational hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by inhaling dust or spores from mouldy hay, grain, or straw, with possible longer-term effects on lung function.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 4 · Farmer’s lung and occupational hypersensitivity pneumonitis · 1
‘Farmer’s lung’ is a common form of the disease caused by the inhalation of dust or spores arising from mouldy hay, grain or straw. It is typically characterised by acute flu-like effects but can, in some cases, also lead to serious longer-term effects on lung function.

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