NIOSH warns that wet hay, grain, silage, compost, and other organic agricultural materials can grow bacteria and mold; breathing the organisms and organic dust produced may cause lung disease.
Source: CDC/NIOSH: NIOSH Update — respiratory hazards from organic agricultural dusts including silage ↗Dust entry
Silage dust
Organic particulate released when handling, cutting, or disturbing silage and other stored agricultural feed materials.
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
lung disease riskrespiratory irritationorganic-dust toxic syndromehypersensitivity pneumonitisfevermalaisemyalgialower-respiratory inflammationrespiratory impairment concernirreversible lung-damage concern
Evidence
NIOSH describes organic dust toxic syndrome and hypersensitivity pneumonitis in relation to high concentrations of microorganism-contaminated grain, hay, and silage dust, and characterizes ODTS as a noninfectious flu-like illness with fever, malaise, myalgia, and lower-respiratory inflammation.
Source: CDC/NIOSH: Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome ↗NIOSH defines hypersensitivity pneumonitis as lung inflammation resulting from sensitization and recurrent inhalation of organic dusts, including moldy fodder in farmer's lung, and warns that prolonged exposure can cause irreversible lung damage.
Source: CDC/NIOSH: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis ↗NIOSH measured endotoxin in silage and hay-silage dust and concluded that endotoxin-containing agricultural dust presents a potential risk of respiratory impairment.
Source: CDC/NIOSH: Quantitation of airborne endotoxin levels in various occupational environments ↗Controls
- moisture and mould control
- ventilation
- dust suppression
- exposure monitoring
- appropriate respiratory protection