Reasons for increased scrutiny of animal agriculture
• Increasing population that is more aware
• Increasing per capita consumption– Processed foods– Meat
• Larger facilities
Consequences
• More potential for environmental problems– More waste in one place
• More opportunity for utilization and management– Economies of scale– Scale of operation
Environmental concerns
• Non-point source pollutants– Definition
– Categories• Sediment*
• Nutrients*
• Pesticides
• Salts
• Metals
• Bacteria*
• Sulfates
Yellow denotes that agriculture is a source
* Denotes that animal ag is a source
Nutrients
• N
• P
• Organic Matter
N and water quality
• Groundwater concern
Ammonia
Ammonia
fertilizer
Ammonification
(Denitrification)
Assimilation
N and water quality
• Methemoglobinemia – “Blue baby syndrome”
P and water quality
• Surface water concern
• Eutrophication of surface water– Natural aging process; nutrient enrichment;
high plant and algae growth; organic matter accumulation
Eutrophication
• Definition – high productivity
• Symptoms– Frequent algal blooms; reduced variety of
algae; blue-green predominant species; shift in fish populations (pelagic rather than benthic), anoxia or near anoxia
• Limiting nutrients – N but usually P– 0.3 – 3.0 mg/L total P
Eutrophication
• Sources– Rainfall (N and P)– Runoff (N and P)– Sewage and decomposition (N and P)– Atmospheric fixation (N)– Waterfowl (N and P)– Groundwater (N)
Eutrophication
• Consequences– Algae decomposition products – affect taste,
odor, color– Weeds – clogging treatment filters– Increased color and turbidity– Anoxia – release of H2S, redox sensitive
minerals– Aesthetics
Organic matter concerns
• Primarily, surface water– Fishkills
• DNR statistics
– Hypoxia• stats
– Pfisteria• Human effects
Impairments to Iowa's water sources(1998)
Impairment
Silt
Nu
trie
nts
Flo
w a
lt.
Fe
ca
l C
olifo
rm
Org
an
ic e
nr.
Alg
ae
Tu
rbid
ity
Pe
sti
cid
es
Nit
rate
s
Oth
erN
um
be
r o
f w
ate
r s
ou
rce
s
0
20
40
60
80
100
157 water sources in Iowa were classified as impaired
Issues associated with grazing
– Sedimentation and turbidity• Overgrazing of riparian vegetation
– Stream channelization• Overgrazing of riparian vegetation
– Nutrient impairment and algae growth• Pasture runoff
– Bacterial contamination• Pasture runoff
Annual Sediment, P, and N loading of Rock Creek Lakefrom tributaries with different proportions of
pastureland (Downing et al., 2000)
Pasture, % of total land
Se
dim
en
t, M
T/h
a
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Sediment Total P Total N
Watershed 1 2 3
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0 P a
nd
N, k
g/h
a
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Air Quality Regulations and Activity
• 1997 Clean Air Act Amendments– National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS)• Primary pollutant standards
• Secondary pollutant standards
NAAQS 6 criteria pollutants
• CO• Pb
• SO2
• O3
• Particulate matter– PM10
– also PM2.5
• NO2
Particulate Matter
• Primary pollutant– respiratory health– livestock sources include feed dust,
secondary formation (fugitive)
• Secondary pollutant– visibility (haze)– livestock sources include feedlot dust, road
and tillage dust (fugitive)
Feedlot dust control - timedirrigation
Fugitive dust
• EPA estimates that 50% of PM2.5 emissions arise from fugitive dust sources
Ammonia + nitric acid or sulfuric acid
Ammonium Nitrate or Ammonium sulfate
From fields, feedlots, manure storage, housing
5%4%
3%
2%
86%
On-Road and Non-Road Engines andVehicles - 5%
All Other - 4%
Chemical & AlliedProduct Mfg. - 3%
Waste Disposal &Recycling - 2%
Misc. (includeslivestock andfertilizer) - 86%
Sources of ammonia
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (1997)
• Ozone– new standard- 0.8 ppm avg over 8 hr vs. 0.12
ppm avg over 1 hr– results primarily from nitrogen oxides and
VOCs– regulation of fuels and motor vehicles will
have some impact on agriculture– reducing concentrations should result in
improved yield
Other air quality areas• Secondary pollutants
– Odor
– Greenhouse gases (CH4, CO2, N2O)• Equivalency of different gases
Greenhouse Gases
Iowa Greenhouse Gas Action Plan
• Control emissions from animal agriculture
• Balance the production of GHG with carbon sequestration capacity
Iowa Greenhouse Gas Action Plan
• 1 hog generates the same GHG equivalents as 2.5 humans
• Must cover all CAFO manure storages
• Need to curtail N2O emissions from CAFOs
• New approaches to reducing methane
Odor
• 200+ compounds
• Interaction of compounds
• Health effects???
Nuisance pollutants
• Noise
• Flies
Safety
• Depletion of oxygen
• Poisonous gases
• Explosions
Other issues
• Disease transmission
• Insects and rodents
• Visual aesthetics
Air Quality Concerns
• From the neighbor’s perspective, shift more towards human health concerns rather than nuisance
Iowa Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Air
Quality Study• Released February 8, 2002
• Responded to 5 questions from the IDNR regarding human health impacts from AFOs– Recommended exposure levels for emissions
of concern
RecommendationsH2S
• H2S - not exceed 70 parts per billion (ppb) for a 1-hour time-weighted average (TWA) period, measured at the CAFO property line.
• The concentration at a residence or public use area shall not exceed 15 ppb.
• Each CAFO should be provided up to seven days each calendar year when they are allowed to exceed the concentration for hydrogen sulfide
RecommendationsNH3
• NH3 - not to exceed 500 ppb for a 1-hour TWA period, measured at the CAFO property line
• The concentration at a residence or public use area shall not exceed 150 ppb
• Each CAFO should have up to seven days each calendar year when they are allowed to exceed the concentration for ammonia.
RecommendationsOdor
• No consensus reached on odor. Therefore two opinions provided.– 7:1 dilutions at the residence; 15:1 at the
property line– No data to support recommendations of odor
concentration in relation to human health
Iowa SF2293
• Rules completed by the end of August 2002
• Anticipated regulations for NH3 and H2S will be developed
• Unique – health-based therefore, measures will be at the residence
• IDNR to conduct an 18-month monitoring study (regulation)
Current status of SF2293
• Maximum 1-hr average H2S concentration not to exceed 15 ppb at the separated distance
• Maximum 1-hr average NH3 concentration not to exceed 150 ppb at the separated distance
• No odor standard
Odor Regulations
• Missouri– Requires development of odor control plans– 5.4:1 odor threshold limit at the property line
• Enforcement is currently on hold
• Minnesota– H2S, as an odor indicator
• 30 ppb, 30-min average, twice in five d• 50 ppb, 30-min average, twice annually
– Currently considering a health-based, residence standard
Odor Regulations
• Colorado– 15:1 dilution threshold standard for non-
swine uses– Housed commercial swine feeding operations
• 7:1 at the property line
• 2:1 at the residence
Additional Activity
• California– In response to non-attainment of PM10 and
ozone standards• VOC and PM10 emission reductions of 30% and
47%, respectively, by 2006• 50% NH3 emission reduction from dairy by 2006
• Idaho– Very early stages of implementing VOC
standards for CAFOs that are health-based
• Bioaerosols • Endotoxin
• Pathogens • Antibiotic resistance• Endocrine disruptors• Mortality management
• http://www.state.ia.us/government/dnr/organiza/epd/wastewtr/feedlot/faq.htm
Emerging Environmental Issues
Emerging issues are not nutrient issues
• May require a non-traditional solutions– Will need non-traditional expertise to
address
Antibiotic resistance
• Zahn et al., 2001 (JAS 79(Suppl 1):783)• Aerial transfer of tylosin and TRB from swine finishers
– 3 mechanically-ventilated facilities– 20 g*ton-1
• 8.1 ± 5.3 ng*L-1 tylosin exhausted• TRB represented 80% of culturable bacteria
• Under year-round average ventilation rates, exhausted tylosin concentration represents 30% of tylosin fed
• Better methods of administration of sub-therapeutic concentrations????
Estrogens in the Environment
• 17B-estradiol and xenoestrogens are the most offending
• Finlay-Moore et al., 2000. JEQ 29(5):1604• No grazing effects on estradiol or testosterone
concentration in runoff• Amendment with broiler litter increased runoff
concentrations of estradiol and testosterone 15-fold
• Reproductive management solutions????
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