
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Accioly, J. M. 
A1  - Taylor, E. G. 
A1  - Costa, N. D. 
A1  - Pethick, D. W. 
A1  - White, C. L. 
A1  - Pluske, J. R. 
A1  - Tudor, G. D. 
A1  - Clark, P. 
T1  - Effect of atmospheric ammonia on bovine lung
JF  - Science Access
JO  - 
Y1  - 2004
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
SP  - 1
EP  - 4
KW  - ammonia, live export, bronchio-alveolar lavage, cattle
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/SA0401001 
N2  - The effect of atmospheric ammonia on bovine lung was investigated in 3 experiments by means of bronchio-alveolar lavage (BAL). Cattle were placed in rooms simulating live export conditions and atmospheric ammonia was monitored throughout. Bronchio-alveolar lavage was performed 4 days before the cattle were placed in rooms and immediately after they left the rooms. The cattle were introduced to experimental diets 5 days before the first BAL was performed. In all experiments, wood shavings were used as bedding and, in room 2, these were mixed with gypsum (2:1) and partially changed every 2-3 days. In experiment 1, 10 Angus cross heifers were fed lucerne cubes diets (2.25% of liveweight (LW)) with 5 placed in each simulation room for 9 days. Atmospheric ammonia was significantly (P<0.05) higher in room 1 (42.3 ± 2.8 ppm) than in room 2 (22.0 ± 1.6 ppm). In experiments 2 and 3, 3 groups of 4 Angus cross heifers were used. They were fed (all at 3% of LW) either a basic export diet (BD) or a basic diet containing CaCl2 (BD + CaCl2). Two groups were kept in the simulation rooms for 12 days, and a third group was kept outdoors in a sand yard. In experiment 2, the animals in room 1 were fed BD while the animals in room 2 and outdoors were fed the BD + CalCl2. Atmospheric ammonia was significantly different (P<0.05) among the 3 groups, and the values were 16.8 ± 0.68, 9.4 ± 0.34 and 0 ± 0 ppm, respectively, for rooms 1 and 2, and outdoors. In experiment 3, animals in room 1 and outdoors were fed the BD while the animals in room 2 were fed the BD + CalCl2. Atmospheric ammonia values were18.6 ± 0.6, 10.6 ± 0.3 and 0 ± 0 ppm, respectively, for rooms 1 and 2, and outdoors. In experiments 1, there was a significant increase in total white cell and mononucleated cell counts (P<0.05) on the BAL samples performed after the animals left the rooms. There were no changes on BAL samples in either experiment 2 and 3. The recommended time-weighted average safety levels for atmospheric ammonia for humans (25 ppm) were exceeded on a number of occasions in both rooms in experiment 1. On the other hand, atmospheric ammonia did not exceed 25 ppm in either experiment 2 or 3. The dust levels in both rooms and sand yard were very low, therefore, ammonia was the most logically attributable cause for the irritation developed by the animals in experiment 1. 
ER  -

