title: The public health impacts of concentrated animal feeding operations on local communities.
abstract: Large-scale farm animal production facilities, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), release a significant amount of contaminants into the air and water. Adverse health effects related to exposure to these contaminants among CAFO workers have been well-documented; however, less is known about their impact on the health of residents in nearby communities. Epidemiological research in this area suggests that neighboring residents are at increased risk of developing neurobehavioral symptoms and respiratory illnesses, including asthma. Additional research is needed to better understand community-scale exposures and health outcomes related to the management practices and emissions of CAFOs.
authors.affiliation: Farm Animal Welfare, The Humane Society of the United States, Washington, District of Columbia 20037, USA. mgreger@humanesociety.org
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greger
authors.forename: Gowri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koneswaran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D002648:Child; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D016885:United States Department of Agriculture; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency; D018505:Waste Management / Q000592:standards; D014873:Water Pollutants
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants