The Rural Voice, 1988-04, Page 40SCOTT'S
INDUSTRIAL
& FARM SUPPLY
Nuts & Bolts
(all grades)
Hydraulic hose & fittings
v -help
Bearings
Roller Cham
Westward Tools
Epps Pressure Washers
R. R. 4, Tara 519-376-0283
8mi. W. of Owen Sound off Hwy. 21
Evenings—Wayne Welker 519-371-4677
PAUL
LIVESTOCK
SCALES
- - .....�
Look for our display of livestock
handling equipment at the
Chesley Farm Show,
April 12 & 13
FLIVESTOCK
EQUIPMENT
REY
RR #1 Moorefield, Ont.,
NOG 2K0 (519) 638-3551
38 THE RURAL VOICE
may also be necessary (antibiotics,
inhalers, and antihistamines are all
ineffective). A farmer who suffers
from FLD must avoid contact with
even the smallest amount of dust —
best accomplished by having someone
else doing the feeding chores. Some
farmers have found they must leave
the farming business altogether.
Prevention is the best method
of treating FLD. The use of proper
masks or respirators, effective ven-
tilation where the feeding takes place,
and regular medical examinations can
prevent further problems.
can cause repeated problems.
Silo Filler's Disease (SFD) is a
third, more serious problem among
farmers. It can be fatal.
When a crop of haylage or silage
is high in nitrates, the nitrates are
released in a silo as nitrogen dioxide
gas. Anyone entering a silo before the
recommended time of at least three
weeks after filling is risking his life.
In severe cases, the first reaction of the
body is a tightening of muscles in the
throat. The vocal cords close off the
windpipe, causing suffocation. Then
blood pressure falls rapidly as the
DANGEROUS GASES ON THE FARM
CARBON DIOXIDE
— formed by the combustion or
decomposition of plant substances
• colorless
• odorless
• excludes oxygen from lungs
• found in grain bins, sealed silos,
manure storage tanks
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
— "Silo Gas" — a by-product of the
fermentation of silage
• may have yellow-orange color
• may give off bleach -like odor
• inflames or irritates air passages
and/or lungs
• reacts with moisture in respiratory
tract to form nitrates and nitrites
HYDROGEN SULPHIDE
— "Manure Gas" — formed by the
decomposition of organic material
• colorless
• may give off a rotten egg smell
• depresses and ultimately
paralyzes nervous system
A second respiratory disease of
concern to farmers is Silo Unloader's
Syndrome (SUS). Similar to FLD,
SUS is caused when someone inhales
large amounts of dust containing
bacteria or spores. But because there
is no allergic reaction involved, the
incidence of SUS is much more fre-
quent than that of FLD. The disease
usually occurs when a farmer is ex-
posed to dust while uncapping a silo
filled with high -moisture feed.
When it is hard to see in the silo
because of dust, conditions are ripe for
SUS. Some immediate signs of the
disease are coughing and burning eyes
and throat. Over 2 to 12 hours, high
fever, muscle aches, coughing, weak-
ness, and tightness in the chest can
occur. The main difference between
this syndrome and FLD is the lack of
wheezing or "crackling."
Victims of SUS are often hospi-
talized because the symptoms are
similar to those of pneumonia. Usu-
ally, cases aren't serious and are cured
after four or five days, with no lasting
effects. But repeated exposure to dust
major organs are deprived of oxygen,
leading to a rapid loss of conscious-
ness. Death is almost immediate.
Low-level exposures to the gas
harm the smallest lung tubes, the air
sacs. When nitrogen dioxide is
inhaled, it is moistened in the throat
and windpipe, turning into nitric acid.
Acid burn occurs in the lower part of
the respiratory airway. The other
effects can be immediate or delayed.
One immediate effect is the flooding
of the air sacs with pulmonary edema,
or mucous, which causes dizziness
and weakness. After several hours,
victims suffer fever, coughing and
wheezing, shortness of breath, nausea,
and restlessness. These delayed
symptoms get worse, and by the time
the victim gets to a doctor, his skin
may be cold and clammy and tinged
with blue. In most cases, SFD
requires hospitalization.
Nitrates, once breathed in, do not
limit their damage to the respiratory
system. They also limit the ability of
the red blood cells to carry oxygen,
resulting in poorer circulation,