[Occurrence of phenolic compounds in the dust of swine stalls and henhouses].

Dust-borne phenols and indols were extracted by ethanol from the sedimentation dust of two pig houses (finishing pigs on half slatted floor resp. piglets on deep litter) and a hen house (3-stage battery cages) and analysed by gas chromatography. In the dust of both pig houses 5 compounds (phenol, p-cresol, p-ethylphenol, indole, skatole) and in the hen house 6 compounds (phenol, p-cresol, 2.6-dimethylamine, 3.4-dimethylamine, indole, skatole) were found. The total amounts of the phenolic compounds came to 275 microgram/g dust (finishing pigs), 111 micrograms/g dust (piglets) and 108 micrograms/g dust (hens). Quantitatively in the finishing pig house p-cresol is well to the fore (53% of the total amount), in the piglet house phenol is dominating (50%) and in the hen house 2.6-dimethylphenol dominates distinctly (83%). The sensory evaluation of the two pig houses showed that the odour intensity in the finishing pig house is distinctly higher than in the piglet house. It seems that the decrease of the odour intensity coincides with the decrease of p-cresol. The results show that animal house dust is an important carrier of trace gases including odorants. The possible influence of dustborne phenol and skatole on the animals is discussed with respect to respiratory affections.