Association of Common Zoonotic Pathogens With Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

Animal farming has intensified significantly in recent decades, with the emergence of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in industrialized nations. The congregation of susceptible animals in CAFOs can lead to heavy environmental contamination with pathogens, promoting the emergence of hyper-transmissible, and virulent pathogens. As a result, CAFOs have been associated with emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, hepatitis E virus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Streptococcus suis, livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Cryptosporidium parvum in farm animals. This has led to increased transmission of zoonotic pathogens in humans and changes in disease patterns in general communities. They are exemplified by the common occurrence of outbreaks of illnesses through direct and indirect contact with farm animals, and wide occurrence of similar serotypes or subtypes in both humans and farm animals in industrialized nations. Therefore, control measures should be developed to slow down the dispersal of zoonotic pathogens associated with CAFOs and prevent the emergence of new pathogens of epidemic and pandemic potential.

Partitioning of NH3-NH4+ in the Southeastern U.S.

The formation of inorganic fine particulate matter (i.e., iPM2.5) is controlled by the thermodynamic equilibrium partitioning of NH3-NH4+. To develop effective control strategies of PM2.5, we aim to understand the impacts of changes in different precursor gases on iPM2.5 concentrations and partitioning of NH3-NH4+. To understand partitioning of NH3-NH4+ in the southeastern U.S., responses of iPM2.5 to precursor gases in four seasons were investigated using field measurements of iPM2.5, precursor gases, and meteorological conditions. The ISORROPIA II model was used to examine the effects of changes in total ammonia (gas + aerosol), total sulfuric acid (aerosol), and total nitric acid (gas + aerosol) on iPM2.5 concentrations and partitioning of NH3-NH4+. The results indicate that reduction in total H2SO4 is more effective than reduction in total HNO3 and total NH3 to reduce iPM2.5 especially under NH3-rich condition. The reduction in total H2SO4 may change partitioning of NH3-NH4+ towards gas-phase and may also lead to an increase in NO3− under NH3-rich conditions, which does not necessarily lead to full neutralization of acidic gases (pH < 7). Thus, future reduction in iPM2.5 may necessitate the coordinated reduction in both H2SO4 and HNO3 in the southeastern U.S. It is also found that the response of iPM2.5 to the change in total H2SO4 is more sensitive in summer than winter due to the dominance of SO42− salts in iPM2.5 and the high temperature in summer. The NH3 emissions from Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) at an agricultural rural site (YRK) had great impacts on partitioning of NH3-NH4+. The Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model revealed a strong positive correlation between cation-NH4+ and anions-SO42− and NO3−. This research provides an insight into iPM2.5 formation mechanism for the advancement of PM2.5 control and regulation in the southeastern U.S.

Reburning of Animal Waste Based Biomass with Coals for NOx Reduction, Part II: Dairy Biomass (DB) and Coal–DB Blends

Concentrated animal feeding operations (both slaughter and dairy cattle) lead to land, water, and air pollution if waste storage and handling systems are not effectively managed. At the same time, cattle biomass (CB), which includes both slaughter/feedlot biomass (FB) and dairy biomass (DB), have the potential to be a source of green energy at coal-fired power plants. Part I presented results on NOx reductions with pure FB or Coal: FB blends as reburn fuels. Part II deals with results from reburning with pure DB or Coal: DB blends as reburn fuels. A mixture of NG with a small amount of NH3 was used to generate the baseline NOx of 400–420 ppm (or 185–194 g/GJ). NOx emissions were found to be reduced by as much as 96% when reburning with FB. The effects of reburn fuel type, equivalence ratio (ERRBZ) in the reburn zone, vitiated air, several injection configurations of reburn fuel and initial NO concentrations on NOx emissions were investigated. The ERRBZ shows a significant effect on the NOx reduction. The 20% heat input by reburning was the better operating condition for the long-term operation due to its ash production. The results reveal that reburn with DB fuels is an effective technology for NOx emission control when the initial NOx emission is higher than 275 ppm (or 127 g/GJ or 0.3 lb/MMBtu).

Environmental Injustice and Industrial Chicken Farming in Delaware

Potential disparities in the distribution of poultry CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) and meat-processing facilities across Delaware were explored with regards to sociodemographic factors including race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. We conducted buffer analyses of CAFO host census tracts alongside sociodemographic data in order to explore populations in proximity to the Delaware chicken industry. We conducted a hotspot analysis of CAFOs to find areas with large concentrations of poultry operations and applied zero-inflation regression models to determine if there's a relationship between sociodemographic composition and number of CAFOs/meat- processing facilities in Delaware. Median household income was lower in CAFO host census tracts than all others, and also lower than the state median. A larger percentage of people living in poverty are in poultry CAFO hotspots (15.4 percent) compared to the state average (13.7 percent). Delaware's chicken industry disproportionately burdens low-wealth communities. Delaware policy-makers should employ environmental justice-oriented solutions to best serve impacted populations.

Mobile Optical Remote Sensing for quantification of Ammonia and Methane emissions from Dairy Farms in California.

&lt;p&gt;Solar occultation flux (SOF) and Mobile extractive FTIR (MeFTIR) are techniques used for over 20 years to quantify industrial emissions of VOCs, CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;, and others, from refineries in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Here, they were combined to assess methane (CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;) and ammonia (NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;) from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), California. SOF and MeFTIR were used to measure NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; column, and ground concentrations of NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; and CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;, respectively. SOF retrieves the gas column concentration from the solar spectra using a solar track, directing the light to a FTIR spectrometer, while crossing the gas plume. Subsequently, a direct flux approach combines the retrieved columns with wind information to obtain the mass fluxes of ammonia. In this survey, the wind information was acquired by a wind LIDAR, which measures wind speed and direction in the interval of 10 &amp;#8211; 300 m. On the other hand, Methane emissions were quantified using a unique indirect flux approach by combining the estimated ammonia fluxes and the NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;:CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; ratios measured from the ground concentration using MeFTIR.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Two field campaigns performed in spring and autumn studied emissions from 14 single dairy CAFOs. The daily emissions from the single farms averaged 96.4 &amp;#177; 38.4 kg&lt;sub&gt;NH3 &lt;/sub&gt;h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;and 411 &amp;#177; 185.4 kg&lt;sub&gt;CH4&lt;/sub&gt;h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;, respectively, for NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; and CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; with the corresponding emission factors (EF) per animal unit of 11.3 &amp;#177; 3.8 g&lt;sub&gt;NH3&lt;/sub&gt;h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;AU&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;and 50.3 &amp;#177; 24.1 g&lt;sub&gt;CH4&lt;/sub&gt;h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;AU&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;. The uncertainty of ammonia measurements was 17 % in a standard confidence interval (CI) and 37 % in a 95 % CI, with the largest uncertainty associated with the wind measurements. Furthermore, the methane uncertainty estimations averaged 27 % in a standard CI, and 52 % in a 95 % CI, dominated by the ammonia fluxes uncertainty. Comparison between Annual or daily EFs obtained by SOF to other quantification approaches, have to take into consideration the SOF measurement conditions, day-time and sunny weather, due to their effects on the NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions. The study contributed to develop the knowledge of dairy CAFOs emission, and to strengthen the role of optical remote sensing techniques, bridging the gap between satellites and stationary measurement approaches.&lt;/p&gt;

European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) as Vectors and Reservoirs of Pathogens Affecting Humans and Domestic Livestock

European starlings are an abundant, widespread avian species frequently found in close association with human development and agriculture. The ability of starlings to carry and disperse pathogens of humans and domesticated livestock has received considerable attention, including studies of enteric bacteria, viruses, and some fungi. To investigate the importance of European starlings as disease vectors, I reviewed and assessed the available literature, comprising several hundred published papers. Although a wide variety of potential pathogens have been reported in starlings, the strongest evidence suggests that they may be responsible for harboring and dispersing some species of enteric bacteria, with Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni of perhaps greatest interest, and primarily in the context of dairies, concentrated animal feeding operations, and other intensive livestock agriculture.