In the past few years, livestock farming has experienced significant transformation. Production has shifted from small farms to big farms that, in most cases, have trade contracts. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) is a specific type of extensive, agricultural and industrial facility that rears animals, normally in high densities, for the purposes of meat, eggs, or milk consumption (Pagliari et al., 2020). For a farm to be well-thought-out as a CAFO, it must be classified as an animal feeding operation (AFO).
An animal feeding operation is a place where animals are kept for 45 days or more per year. Therefore, CAFOs are AFOs in which more than 1000 animal units are contained for over 45 days per year (Pagliari et al., 2020). A 1000 animal unit equals 1000 meat cows, 10,000 pigs weighing below 55 pounds, 55,000 turkeys, 700 dairy cows, 125,000 chickens, or 10,000 pigs (Pagliari et al., 2020). Even if CAFOs have some benefits, they also have some disadvantages. Therefore, this essay will focus on advocating against concentrated animal feeding operations. This will be done by discussing the various environmental health effects caused by CAFOs, like effects on groundwater, air quality, odor, and property value.
First, CAFOs can pollute groundwater through overspills from the use of manure on land, leaks in manure storage compartments, or draining of concentrated manure applied on land. Groundwater is the sole source of drinking water in most households, especially those in remote areas. Therefore, when pathogens from manure contaminate groundwater, a severe threat is posed to the drinking water. This is because pathogens survive longer in groundwater when compared to surface water because of reduced temperatures (Miralha et al., 2021). Even if the contamination from a CAFO occurs only once, the viruses could still attach to sediments near groundwater and continue to leak gradually into groundwater.
If a CAFO closes down, groundwater can also be at risk because of the overtime formation of highly mobile nitrates in the soil and can reach groundwater. Increased nitrate in drinking water is harmful to infants because they cannot convert methemoglobin back to hemoglobin as fast as adults hence acquiring blue baby syndrome or even dying (Miralha et al., 2021). Also, in adults, low blood sugar leads to miscarriages, stomach and esophageal cancer, and congenital disabilities.
CAFOs also lead to a decrease in the quality of air in areas neighboring the farms. AFOs produce many air emissions, such as particulate substances and gaseous emissions, but CAFOs yield even more emissions because of their magnitude. The leading source of gaseous emission is the disintegration of livestock compost, while particulate matters are due to animals’ movement (Borlée et al., 2017). The amount, rate, and type of emissions depend on whether the manure is solid, liquid, or slurry and handled after excreted. The most classic contaminants found in the air around CAFOs are hydrogen sulfide, particulate matter, ammonia, and methane (Borlée et al., 2017).
These contaminants have various varying health risks to human beings. The health risks include asthma and lung disease among children and chronic and acute bronchitis, chronic obstructive airways disease, and interstitial lung infections among farm laborers (Borlée et al., 2017). Other health risks of air emissions are headaches, eye irritations, chest tightness, respiratory issues, and nausea.
In addition to groundwater and air quality, CAFOs are also associated with odor. The odors emitted by CAFOs are an intricate combination of carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide, as well as semi-volatile and volatile biological compounds (Miralha et al., 2021). The anaerobic reaction that happens when fertilizer is put in storage in pits for an extended period is the primary source of the odors. The odor from the manure is carried away from the ranch on dust and other air substances. Depending on the farming technique and weather conditions, the odor from CAFOs can be smelled as far as 6 miles (Miralha et al., 2021).
The odor can lead to lifestyle changes for people living around the farms. If the order is severe, people may consider closing their windows even when their rooms do not have air conditioners and the temperatures are high. Individuals may also consider homeschooling or not letting their children play outside, inconveniencing their upbringing. Other effects of odor from CAFOs include mental health deterioration, undesirable mood conditions such as anger, tension, sadness, and neuropsychiatric abnormalities like memory or decreased balance.
Lastly, CAFOs are also known to affect the value of property in the places they set up. The cause of this speculation includes the fear of loss of resources, discomfort due to odor, and the risks of air or water contamination (Pagliari et al., 2020). The adverse effects are more significant for properties that are closest and downwind to livestock. The decline in the value of property around a CAFO affects individuals who view their properties as assets.
In conclusion, CAFOs have several environmental effects, such as groundwater, odor, air quality, and decreased property value. The environmental effects, in turn, cause health issues like blue baby syndrome, stomach cancer, lung disease, mental health deterioration, respiratory issues, nausea, and neuropsychiatric abnormalities. CAFOs also lead to the loss of property value in areas surrounding them. The loss of property value may affect some individuals’ financial plans. Because of these reasons, I strongly advocate against the establishment of CAFOs.
References
Borlée, F., Yzermans, C. J., Aalders, B., Rooijackers, J., Krop, E., Maassen, C. B., Schellevis, F., Brunekreef, B., Heederik, D., & Smit, L. A. (2017). Air pollution from livestock farms is associated with airway obstruction in neighboring residents. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 196(9), 1152-1161. Web.
Miralha, L., Muenich, R. L., Schaffer-Smith, D., & Myint, S. W. (2021). Spatiotemporal land use change and environmental degradation surrounding CAFOs in Michigan and North Carolina. Science of the Total Environment, 800, 149391. Web.
Pagliari, P., Wilson, M., & He, Z. (2020). Animal manure production and utilization: Impact of modern concentrated animal feeding operations. Animal Manure, 1-14. Web.