Zeolite for Passive Control of Poultry Bioaerosols

JOHN CATE, Maria King, Texas A&M University

     Abstract Number: 497
     Working Group: Bioaerosols

Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in residential poultry environments poses significant public health risks, particularly in under-regulated backyard chicken coops. Zeolite, a naturally occurring aluminosilicate mineral with ion-exchange, adsorptive, and antimicrobial properties, offers potential as a passive mitigation strategy. This study evaluates the effectiveness of zeolite bedding in reducing both the abundance and airborne dispersal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in a simulated chicken coop environment. Experimental coops were outfitted with either a bare dirt floor or zeolite bedding. Microbial sampling was conducted over ten days using surface swabs and high-volume bioaerosol collectors, including a wetted wall cyclone and the BioFlyte impaction-based sampler. Quantitative PCR, Illumina sequencing, and antibiotic susceptibility testing assessed bacterial load, resistance profiles, and microbiome composition. Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate binding interactions between zeolite and bacterial membrane components to explore mechanistic interactions further. Chicken manure collected from dirt flooring was spread over zeolite and exposed to ventilation airflow for ten days at room temperature. Bioaerosol sampling revealed a shift in the composition of the aerosolized microbiome over zeolite compared to the original manure sample. Preliminary results indicate that zeolite bedding reduces culturable bacterial counts and suppresses the prevalence of resistant strains. These findings support using zeolite as a low-cost, passive intervention to mitigate AMR spread and microbial exposure risks in backyard poultry systems.