Environmental Impact of Confined Housing, Animals as Sentinels (week 13)

How has farm size changed over time?

used to be small family owned farms that had multiple species, now a shift to large corporate farms with huge increases in production

Confinement housing

Intensive animal housing with all food provided; not out grazing (or not for a significant portion of year)

Benefits of confinement housing

-increased worker efficiency

-may reduce injuries to animals

-reduce exposure to environmental sources of disease

-better feed conversion to growth as less energy is

expended on physical activity

Benefits of confinement housing to society

-less land divided to agriculture per person

-better able to feed the growing population of people

-safe, wholesome, affordable

-benefits national economy

Four concerns of confinement housing

1.) animal welfare and quality of life

2.) source of environmental contamination

3.) increased animal and insect pests

4.) animal and human health concerns

Animal Feeding Facilities

animals are kept in buildings, pens, or corrals; feed is brought to the animals, rather than them grazing or seeking feed in pastures

Concentrated Animal Feeding Facilities (CAFF) are regulated by what organization?

ODA

There are four types of Concentrated Animal Feeding Facilities (CAFF) based on...

species, number of animals, and manure management practices

Four types of number of Concentrated Animal Feeding Facilities (CAFF)

1.) large

2.) major

3.) medium

4.) small

Which types of Concentrated Animal Feeding Facilities (CAFF) are regulated by ODA?

only large and major; medium and small are not!

Two types of CAFF permits:

1.) permit to install

2.) permit to operate

permit to install (CAFF)

all CAFFS must have a permit before a new build or expansion; ODA will inspect facility before giving the green light

permit to operate (CAFF)

renewed every 5 years with annual inspection by ODA

All CAFFs regulated by ODA must have a four plans

1.) manure management plan

2.) insect and rodent control plan

3.) mortality plan

4.) emergency response plan

manure management plan includes...

-manure storage to prevent seepage and runoff

-manure application

-ground water testing

-soil testing

What type of plan is NOT technically required by encouraged by ODA?

biosecurity plan

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

A large indoor or outdoor structure used to raise animals at very high densities (basically the same thing as CAFFs)

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations are regulated by what organization?

EPA

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are regulated by EPA under what act?

Clean Water Act

Clean Water Act

regulates the discharge of pollutants from point sources to waters of the United States

What permit does EPA require Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) have?

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (NPDES Permit)

What types of CAFOs are always required to have a NPDES Permit?

large and major

Small and medium CAFOs must have a NPDES Permit if...

-Ditch or pipe carries waste to surface water OR

-Animals come in contact with surface water that passes through the area where they are confined

Confinement housing operations can be both CAFFs and CAFOs. How?

CAFFs are based solely on size and species, but they can also be considered a CAFO if they expected or known discharges into waterways

EPA requires that CAFOs have a _______ management plan

nutrient management plan

nutrient management plan

plan for handling manure, wastewater, and land application to protect surface and ground waters

True or false: sewage treatment is required for human waste but no facilities exist for animal waste

true!

Three manure regulations in Ohio:

1.) ODA DLEPs

2.) EPA NDPES

3.) ODNR Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD)

ODA DLEPs

permits the construction

and operation of Large and Major CAFFs, designed to prevent discharge pollution into state waters

EPA NDPES

permits for Large CAFOs and any size that discharges pollution into state waters

ODNR Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD)

oversees the Agricultural Pollution Abatement Program (APAP) for smaller or non-permitted farms. They enforce standards to prevent, control, and abate water pollution from manure

Examples for uses of feces

-fertilizer for fields and gardens

-extract methane to produce electricity

-biodegradable plastics

Ways to improve animal welfare in concentrated housing

-facilities designed with species in mind

-reduce wetness, keep feet dry

-improvements to ventilation

-avoid overstocking

-train staff in animal handling and recognizing sings of poor welfare

Six potential concerns for CAFOs/CAFFs:

1.) ground water

2.) surface water

3.) air quality

4.) insect vectors

5.) pathogens

6.) antibiotics/pharmaceuticals

Ground water

underground water that is held in the soil; major source of drinking water!

contaminants of ground water

-nutrients (phosphorous and nitrates)

-pathogens

-pharmaceuticals

How do contaminants enter ground water?

through run off, seepage, and leaching

Surface water

Water above the surface of the land, including lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, floodwater, and runoff

What is the major contributor to surface water contamination?

agriculture (manure, fertilizers, etc)

Major contaminator from agriculture to surface water

ammonia

ammonia

converted into nitrates, which act as nutrients that encourage algae and plant growth

Eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria; leads towards death of water ecosystems

Two contributors to decreasing air quality:

1.) particulates

2.) gases

particulates

airborne dust, such as from dirt, bedding, allergens, and endotoxins

Countries with ________ have higher levels of particulates than those without

CAFFs/CAFOs

gases

formed by decomposition of manure or bodies

examples of dangerous gases

-ammonia

-methane

-CO2

Insect vectors and CAFOs/CAFFs

CAFOs/CAFFs are the perfect breeding ground for insects; breed in decaying organic matter or standing water and manure lagoons

Three mechanical insect vectors:

1.) houseflies

2.) stable flies

3.) filth flies

Where do houseflies, stable flies, and filth flies breed?

decaying organic matter

Example of biological insect vector:

mosquitoes

Where do mosquitoes breed?

standing water and manure lagoons

Antibiotics/pharmaceuticals

administered to animals in CAFFs/CAFOs then passed in urine and feces; remain bioactive in the environment

Effect of antibiotics/pharmaceuticals on aquatic ecosystems

-Disrupt endocrine systems

-Disrupt sexual maturation, skewed sex ratios, infertility

-Alter normal behaviors

-Congenital defects

-Direct harm to organs and tissues—toxicity, cancer

Who are the biggest contributor of pharmaceutical runoff in drinking water?

humans!

Sentinels

living organisms (usually animals) used to discover, monitor, or predict human hazards (often infectious diseases)

Sentinels refer to the detection of a specific _______

threat (such as specific pathogen or chemical hazards)

Bioindicators

living organisms (plants, animals, microbes) used to screen the health of natural systems; usually used in an ecosystem health context

What are bioindicators usually used to detect?

pollutants

Bioindicators are not used to detect...

infectious diseases

Sentinels vs detection animals

Sentinels warn us of hazards

through physiologic changes (e.g., getting sick, having high

blood levels of a toxin, etc.), detection animals warn us of

hazards through behavioral

cues (e.g., lying down when

they smell explosives)

Four types of animals that are used are sentinels:

1.) lab animals

2.) production animals

3.) companion animals

4.) wildlife animals

Two reasons why animals make good sentinels/bioindicators for human and environmental health

1.) biological reasons

2.) logistical reasons

biological reasons for using sentinels/bioindicators

-short life spans

-shorter incubation periods

logistical reasons for using sentinels/bioindicators

-option for larger sample sizes

-fewer confounding variables

-arguably more expendable

Four things that make a good sentinel

1.) have to share the same environment as us

2.) have to have differential exposure to hazard (more likely to be exposed to hazard than humans)

3.) have to have differential susceptibility (more sensitive to hazard than humans)

4.) sign of hazard has to be recognizable