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Livestock's Impact on Air Quality
 A study of over 900 articles and abstracts from journals, regulatory documents and academic conference proceedings concluded:
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Virtually no direct links could be drawn between livestock air emissions and public health.
- Most are not objective studies (using health exams/outcomes), but
involved self-reported symptoms and include emotional issues.
Researchers looked at the concentration of hydrogen sulfide at nine hog
operations and compared their findings to measurements taken outside
and inside nearby residences.
- The study revealed that
hydrogen sulfide emitted from hog barns and measured at a nearby
residence is, on average, well below Iowa’s Health Effects Value of 30
ppb.
- Results showed the highest levels of ammonia were in homes with smokers and/or pets.
- The study concluded a cat’s litter box, smoking and everyday
household cleaning products may have more of an impact on air quality
in a home than nearby hog confinement facilities.
An
exposure investigation was conducted near one of the largest hog farms
in the U.S., located in north Missouri, to determine if neighbors were
being exposed to harmful levels of ammonia.
- The investigation
concluded no connection could be found between ammonia levels coming
from the hog farm and adverse health effects.
3-year study took 1,708 measurements near livestock confinements, schools, churches, businesses, homes and other public places.
- Found that in just 7 percent, or 118 of the measurements, odor exceeded standards.
- When land application of manure was taking place, thresholds were
exceeded 11 percent of the time.
- Manure management, not the size of
the facility, plays a major role in how much odor is produced.
Air
was measured from two 1,100 hog finishing barns in north Missouri. (Two
Barns for ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, particulates and non-methane VOC’s
+ Odor)
- Overall, barn emissions are very low.
- Dust (PM10) was found to be about 1/6 of EPA’s estimate
- Pork Checkoff is providing major funding in EPA Air Consent Agreement
study to determine “real” emissions from pork production facilities
Understanding Odor
Results of the Iowa DNR Animal Feeding Operations Odor Study
Iowa Air Emissions Monitoring Protocol Research
Purdue Odor Separation Distance Module
EPA's National Air Emissions Study on Livestock Farms
Purdue To Lead National EPA Air Emissions Study
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