Fifth International Symposium: Future of Rural Peoples: Rural Economy, Healthy People, Environment, Rural Communities.
October 19-23, 2003
Website: http://www.cchsa-ccssma.usask.ca/symposium2003
Symposium Brochure (PDF)
http://www.cchsa-ccssma.usask.ca/meetings/fifthIS.pdf
Book of Abstracts (PDF)
http://www.cchsa-ccssma.usask.ca/symposium2003/
book_of_abstracts.pdf
143 Preliminary Study of Ambient Air Quality in the Vicinity of Large Swine Production Facilities
B Lester, Environmental Health, Colorado State University, USA
08:50-09:10
Oral
The industrialization of livestock production has led to concern over public health impacts from air emissions.
Hazardous emissions from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) include gases, bioaerosols, odors, and other semivolatile organic compounds.
While research has established that these emissions are occupational hazards, there is less known about adverse effects on surrounding communities.
Fourteen Iowa CAFOs were selected on the basis of overall size (study limited to CAFOS with three or more barns) and the downwind ambient air monitored at the nearest property line.
Along with meteorological conditions, analytes measured included odor, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), inhalable particulate, volatile organic compounds, and bioaerosols including endotoxin, fungi, mesophilic bacteria, and gram-negative bacteria.
Downwind monitoring distances ranged from 23 to 418 meters.
Meteorologic conditions varied widely in temperature (range: 12-33 degrees C), relative humidity (range: 37-97 percent) and wind speeds during sampling (range: 1-8 m/s).
The maximum 1 hour time-weighted average H2S concentration was 68 ppb, however, most sites ranged between 6-14 ppb.
Endotoxin ranged from 4-3371 EU/m3 and one-third of the sites exceeded 200 EU/m3.
Inhalable particulate ranged from below detection to 576 ìg/m3 with most sites showing levels between 75-300 ìg/m3.
Odor levels generally correlated with H2S.
Airborne gram-negative enteric bacteria averaged 1.1x10^3 CFU/m3 while mesophilic bacteria averaged 2.0x10^3 CFU/m3.
The mean concentration of culturable fungi was 5.2x10^3 CFU/m3.
This study demonstrated that off-site concentrations of gases, particulates, and bioaerosols occurring downwind from CAFOs achieved levels that raise significant public health concerns.