HOG FARM CONTAMINATION INFORMATION
WITH ADDITIONAL LINKS TO ARTICLES ON BOTTOM
Industrial farms pollute the air in many ways, emitting foul odors, dust and other small airborne particles, greenhouse gases, and numerous toxic chemicals. In the United States, these farms are among the leading producers of noxious substances such as nitrous oxidei and ammonia. Air pollution from industrial farms can cause health problems in agricultural workers, in neighboring communities and even for farm animals, and also results in significant environmental damage. Although there are a variety of techniques to reduce or minimize the impact of air pollution, many large farms still do little or nothing to prevent it.
Farm operations in the United States produce more than 400 different gases.iii In addition to gases, the other airborne particulates they create—such as dust and organic matter known as endotoxinsiv— can have damaging effects on air quality for both the farm and surrounding areas. These gases and particulates are generated during the handling and disposal of byproducts such as manure, the production and use of animal feeds, and also in the shipping and distribution of products.
Mountains of Manure
The USDA estimates that more than 335 million tons of manure
are produced annually on farms in the United States.v This manure
is generally stored for long periods of time in giant tanks or lagoons, where it
decomposes and gives off hundreds of gases.vi
Manure lagoons and tanks are often located directly next to animal confinement
facilities, so harmful gases are continuously present in animal living quarters.vii
They also pollute the outdoor air when stored gases are vented out of barns or
manure slurry is sprayed onto fields as fertilizer.
Hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide are the four main hazardous gases produced by decomposing manure,viii and they all cause a range of health and environmental problems. The EPA estimates that methane emissions from manure in the United States increased by 26% between 1990 and 2004, most of which it attributes to the trend towards larger and more concentrated dairy cow and swine facilities.ix The North Carolina hog industry alone produces about 300 tons of ammonia per day.x
Air Pollution and Feed
While manure is the largest contributor to farm-generated air pollution, a
number of other factory farm components, such as conventional animal feed, also
increase the production of some gases. The EPA estimated that in 2004, 20% of
all man-made methane production came from the digestion processes of
livestock—primarily cows.xi Factory farms use low-quality feed in
large amounts to fatten animals cheaply, and this practice contributes to higher
methane emissions.xii
Producing crops for animal feed also contributes to farm-generated air pollution. Soil management techniques (especially the use of fertilizers) are the leading contributor to nitrous oxide emissions, accounting for 68% of all nitrous oxide released into the air in 2004.xiii
Centralized Food Production and Fossil
Fuel Use
The centralized nature of American food production contributes to air pollution,
as food has to be stored for days and then transported over long distances
before it reaches supermarket shelves. Conventionally-produced fruits and
vegetables travel over a thousand miles on average between being harvested and
sold.xiv Because of this, shipping agricultural products accounted
for at least 1% of all freight trucking emissions in the United States in 2002,
and that does not include the amount of freight (in the form of feed, building
materials, etc.) shipped to farms in order to grow the food.xv
Health Effects of Farm-related Air Pollution
Health effects can vary widely by area, due to the various kinds and amounts of
pollutants produced on farms and the different ways they’re vented. Below are
some of the principle air pollutants released by factory livestock facilities,
and the health problems that they may cause:
Effects on Workers
Since most of the air pollutants produced by farms are in much higher
concentrations on the farms themselves than in neighboring areas, farm
workers are at particular risk. Among workers on confined animal feeding
operations, as many as 70% experience acute bronchitis and 25% chronic
bronchitis.xxiii Additionally, a host of other respiratory ailments
in workers have been linked to working in indoor swine production facilities for
2 hours a day over the course of six years, most likely as a result of organic
dust inhalation.xxiv Some of the gases produced on farms also are
fatal in high concentrations, and in the US there were 12 cases where workers
were killed due to asphyxiation in manure pits between 1992 and 1997.xxv
Effects on Communities
Neighboring communities
are also at risk for health problems from large farms. People living near
hog farms, for example, often have increased respiratory problems.xxvi
A number of studies have demonstrated that fatigue, depression, and mood
disturbances occur in higher proportions in communities near such facilities.xxvii
A study of one town in Utah found a four-fold increase in diarrhea-related
hospitalizations and a three-fold increase in respiratory-related
hospitalizations over a five-year period during which an industrial hog farm was
constructed and became operational.xxviii The Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency has documented that hydrogen sulfide concentrations in excess of
World Health Organization maximum exposure standards can be found on neighboring
properties of hog facilities in that state.xxix
Environmental Effects
Air pollution from farms directly affects the environment
, chiefly through the production of gaseous nitrogen and some of the
greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. About 80% of U.S. ammonia
emissions came from livestock manure.xxx As a report from the
National Academy of Sciences explains, atmospheric ammonia and nitric
oxide—both produced on farms—contribute to what is known as the “nitrogen
cascade,” in which each ammonia molecule “can, in sequence, impact
atmospheric visibility, soil acidity, forest productivity, terrestrial ecosystem
biodiversity, stream acidity, and coastal productivity.”xxxi
Particulate matter emissions contribute to haze.xxxii Through the
production of greenhouse gases—primarily methane and nitrous oxide—the
agricultural industry was directly responsible for 6 percent of the United
States’ impact on global warming in 2004, according to the EPA.xxxiii
Remedies and Regulations
There are already a number of proven techniques that can reduce the impact and
total emissions of air pollutants from farms, including better storage of
manure, air-breaks positioned near farms, and increased attention to the
nutritional needs of specific livestock.xxxiv Additionally, some
measures as simple as allowing cows to graze on pasture (which has also been
shown to be healthier than grain-feeding for both cows and humans) have the
potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.xxxv Raising animals on
pasture also reduces the need for cultivation and transportation of feed, as
well as storage and spreading of manure, all of which require the use of fossil
fuels and emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
However, since most methods that reduce air pollution from farms would
increase maintenance costs without increasing production, factory farms don’t
see it as in their interest to implement them. In addition to the financial
disincentive against regulating emissions from farms, there is little regulatory
incentive to promote their regulation. While most farm emissions are legally
regulated under the Clean Air Act, most enforcement attention has been focused
on factories and cars—both of which are far easier to measure in terms of
their contribution to air pollution.xxxvi The federal government has
also done relatively little to handle the problem, leaving enforcement of
farm-related air pollution to individual state governments, xxxvii and
generally leaving research on the topic to academics.xxxviii
There is also concern that better environmental regulation will not stop much of
the air pollution from farms. Instead, tighter regulations could cause many of
the largest corporate farmers to move to overseas locations. Already, some of
the biggest American agricultural companies (including Perdue and Smithfield)
are now producing and processing foods in Canada, Mexico, Europe, China and
Brazil to reduce costs and avoid being hindered by existing environmental
regulations.xil Because of this, the best way to get industrial farms
to change their ways is not through tightening regulations, but with
consumers’ food dollars.
What You Can Do
The problems associated with most farm emissions are primarily local and
regional, and the most efficient way to reduce air pollution from farms is to
reduce the size and increase the number of farms. In other words, many small
farms scattered throughout the country will have less of an impact on air
quality than conventional factory farms do. Sustainable livestock farms depend
less on cheap feed and fuel-guzzling machinery, because natural pasture systems
rely on the animal’s own energy to harvest feed and spread manure. Because of
this, sustainable farming offers a viable opportunity to reduce farm-related air
pollution.
As consumers, we can use our economic power to support farms that supply sustainably-produced meat, eggs and dairy products. By giving our dollars to farmers who work to minimize their impact on the environment and protect human health, we can vote with our wallets and help change the face of American agriculture, so we can all breathe easier.
Did You Know?
For More Information
Sources
ADDITIONAL HOG FARM INFORMATION LINKS
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3aa0a67c7ca4.htm
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/media/media_e-mag.htm
http://www.factoryfarm.org/topics/health/hydrogensulfide/
http://www.pennfuture.org/files/event_camp/hogfarmtoxicchart.pdf
http://www.fass.org/FASStrack/news_item.asp?news_id=1238
http://www.sierraclub.org/cleanwater/that_stinks/