HEALTH EFFECTS OF AERIAL EMISSIONS FROM ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The rapid proliferation of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) over the last decade has raised concerns about health effects of aerial emissions from animal production and waste management systems. These aerial emissions are predominantly a mixture of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM) (including bioaerosols). The purpose of this paper is to review the known health effects of each of these components of aerial emissions from CAFOs. The potential health effects of malodors associated with these emissions will be addressed as well.