The Concentration of Swine Production: Effects on Swine Health, Productivity, Human Health, and the Environment

The concern about environmental issues centering around CAFOs is appropriate. The veterinary profession can be an important force in meeting these challenges by broadening its scope of knowledge and practice into the broader environmental field. Although animal agriculture's contribution to environmental concerns is the focus of this article, it is only one of several sectors that contributes to environmental degradation. Crop production, as well as livestock production industries, contribute to pollution. Manufacturing industries, municipalities, private individuals, our consumptive lifestyles, and agriculture all contribute to the degradation of our environment. One must keep in mind the huge importance of our agricultural industry and not single it out to the detriment of its progress. We have an abundance of high-quality foods at the lowest cost to the individual of any industrialized nation. We export over 40 billion dollars in agricultural products yearly. Agriculture sustains our rural economies and provides opportunities for over 2 million private enterprises scattered across the country; however, there is a goal that we have a sustainable agriculture. A big part of that depends on development and enhancement of an agriculture that does not pollute, that sustains its farm operators and workers, and that does not make the area residents ill or degrade their quality of life; however, the current situation is not promising. Much remains to be learned about the actual acute and long-term health consequences of animal agricultural pollution. Many health concerns are speculative, even though based on sound facts. We know that many surface waters have excess N and P that leads to eutrophication and possibly enhanced growth of undesirable organisms such as Pfiesteria piscicida. We know that other animal pathogens, such as cryptosporidia, have caused large community outbreaks. There are other potential pathogens, such as Salmonella sp, for which we do not know the hazard. We know that our soils may become excessively laden with P, Cu, and Zn, which retard plant growth and create toxic conditions for grazing animals. There are concerns about air pollution. Odors have negative sensory and physical health consequences. H2S and dust may cause toxic effects on neighbors. NH3 vaporizing from manure sources may be carried with precipitation to cause eutrophication in lakes or altered ecosystems in natural areas. CH4 escaping from degrading manure contributes to greenhouse gases. Workers in confined livestock structures have high risk for a variety of chronic respiratory conditions. They also are at risk for acute poisoning from H2S in operations where liquid manure is stored in confined spaces. There have been numerous health complaints in recent years from community neighbors of large-scale livestock operations. One study showed adverse altered mood states, and another showed evidence of respiratory illness similar to what workers experience. Although it has not been possible to objectively measure conditions and know toxic levels of substances causing these illnesses, there are so-called extratoxic mechanisms, such as inherent aversion to putrefactive odors and exacerbation of preexisting conditions that lower the tolerance threshold. Environmental concerns regarding livestock production are not new. In the early and mid-1970s, there were many conferences and publications regarding odors and water contamination from livestock operations. Although most of what is known in this area has been known for 20 years, relatively little effective efforts have been made to correct the concerns. In fact, trends over this past decade have increased the concerns. This past decade has seen a tremendous acceleration in the concentration and consolidation of agriculture, capping a slow trend over the past 50 years toward larger, fewer, and more-specialized farms. This trend has gone against the old saying that "dilution is the solution to pollution.