What does the Federal Government Think of CAFO’s?

Well, it’s had to say, but the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a carefully worded statement on CAFO’s up on its website: Environmental Hazards & Health Effects: CAFOs . The official word:

People who work with livestock may develop adverse health effects, including chronic and acute respiratory illnesses and musculoskeletal injuries, and may be exposed to infections that travel from animals to humans. Residents in areas surrounding CAFOs report nuisances, such as odor and flies. In studies of CAFOs, CDC has shown that chemical and infectious compounds from swine and poultry waste are able to migrate into soil and water near CAFOs. Scientists do not yet know whether or how the migration of these compounds affects human health.

Pollutants possibly associated with manure-related discharges at CAFOs include:

• Antibiotics, which may contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens

  • Pathogens, such as parasites, bacteria, and viruses, which can cause disease in animals and humans
  • Nutrients, such as ammonia, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which can reduce oxygen in surface waters, encourage the growth of harmful algal blooms, and contaminate drinking-water sources
  • Pesticides and hormones, which researchers have associated with hormone-related changes in fish
  • Solids, such as feed and feathers, which can limit the growth of desirable aquatic plants in surface waters and protect disease-causing microorganisms
  • Trace elements, such as arsenic and copper, which can contaminate surface waters and possibly harm human health

Researchers do not yet know whether or how these or other substances from CAFOs may affect human health. Therefore, CDC supports efforts to address these questions.

This was actually issued in March of 2004, so I wonder what the CDC thinks scientist "know" now, and what the CDC is doing to encourage scientists to find out.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 22nd, 2006 at 1:46 pm and is filed under CAFO. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.