There are two main things on factory farms that cause air pollution. Manure and animal feed. The manure is stored in large tanks or lagoons. As it sits there hundreds of different harmful gases are being let out into the atmosphere. The problem is that these storage areas are often kept close to the animals and workers exposing them to these harmful gases. A significant amount of pollution also happens when the manure is sprayed onto the fields to fertilize it. You wouldn't think that animal feed has anything to do with air pollution but it also plays a significant factor. The feed that is used for cows is the cheapest stuff they can find that makes the cows as fat as possible as quickly as possible. This is great for the "farm" but the cows digestive system is not made to process the cheap feed. This causes the cows to have chronic indigestion which results in higher methane levels. The feed is also grown with synthetic fertilizers with release harmful nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.
The effects all these pollutants have on workers can range from acute bronchitis to chronic. Some have even died while in these manure pits from lack of oxygen. The communities surrounding these facilities are also effected. Respiratory problems are pretty much a given when living close to one of these but studies have also shown that fatigue, depression, and changes in mood occur in higher rates near these factory farms especially hog farms. At a hospital in Utah there was a 4x increase diarrhea related hospitalizations along with a 3x increase in respiratory related ones over the course of the first 5 years a hog farm started operating in the area! So if you are house shopping and you come across a cheap house close to a hog farm you better make sure it has many bathrooms! Another study showed that an elementary school near a factory farm had a significant number more of cases of children with asthma then another elementary school that was in the same state but no where near a factory farm.
Not only do factory farms hurt humans directly they also take a large toll on the environment. Factory farms are a large contributor of methane and nitrous oxide gases that are making global warming worst every year. "As a report from the National Academy of Sciences explains, atmospheric ammonia and nitric oxide—both produced on farms—contribute to what is known as the “nitrogen cascade,” in which each ammonia molecule “can, in sequence, impact atmospheric visibility, soil acidity, forest productivity, terrestrial ecosystem biodiversity, stream acidity, and coastal productivity.” (National Research Council of the National Academies, Division on Earth and Life Studies. 2003)
In reality the impact that one person can have to change the ways of factory farms polluting is not very substantial. It is really up to the government to tighten up regulations. Most of the negatives aspects of factory farming are contributed to the feed that animals are feed. Letting the animals graze naturally would cut down a lot on the harmful gases. Not only would the animals no longer make them in large amounts the pollution from various ways that the feed gets to the farms would no longer be happening if they were grazing naturally like nature intended.
Source:
http://www.sustainabletable.org/266/air-quality
Picture:
http://electrictreehouse.com/dirty-air-at-factory-farms/
Not only do factory farms hurt humans directly they also take a large toll on the environment. Factory farms are a large contributor of methane and nitrous oxide gases that are making global warming worst every year. "As a report from the National Academy of Sciences explains, atmospheric ammonia and nitric oxide—both produced on farms—contribute to what is known as the “nitrogen cascade,” in which each ammonia molecule “can, in sequence, impact atmospheric visibility, soil acidity, forest productivity, terrestrial ecosystem biodiversity, stream acidity, and coastal productivity.” (National Research Council of the National Academies, Division on Earth and Life Studies. 2003)
In reality the impact that one person can have to change the ways of factory farms polluting is not very substantial. It is really up to the government to tighten up regulations. Most of the negatives aspects of factory farming are contributed to the feed that animals are feed. Letting the animals graze naturally would cut down a lot on the harmful gases. Not only would the animals no longer make them in large amounts the pollution from various ways that the feed gets to the farms would no longer be happening if they were grazing naturally like nature intended.
Source:
http://www.sustainabletable.org/266/air-quality
Picture:
http://electrictreehouse.com/dirty-air-at-factory-farms/
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