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

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Fe

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Org

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nr.

Alg

ae

Tu

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20

40

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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????