2006/11/14 by Peter S. Thorne · 106 citations
Chemical Engineering · Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Medicine · #Odor and Emission Control Technologies #Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure #Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock #Workgroup #Public health #Livestock #Environmental planning #Environmental health #Pandemic #Business #Environmental protection #Environmental resource management #Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) #Geography #Medicine #Environmental science #Infectious disease (medical specialty)
paper · pdf · doi:10.1289/ehp.8831
published in Environmental Health Perspectives 115(2), 296-297 (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
openalex publication_date 2006/11/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
A scientific conference and workshop was held March 2004 in Iowa City, Iowa, that brought together environmental scientists from North America and Europe to address major environmental health issues associated with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in large, industrialized livestock production facilities. After one and a half days of plenary sessions, five expert workgroups convened to consider the most relevant research areas, including respiratory health effects, modeling and monitoring of air toxics, water quality issues, influenza pandemics and antibiotic resistance, and community health and socioeconomic issues. The workgroup reports that follow outline the state of the science and public health concerns relating to livestock production as they apply to each workgroup topic. The reports also identify areas in which further research is needed and suggest opportunities to translate science to policy initiatives that would effect improvements in public and environmental health. Viable solutions to some of the current environmental health problems associated with CAFOs are outlined. In addition, these reports bring to light several major concerns, including air and water contamination, the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in livestock, and the specter of influenza outbreaks arising from siting industrialized poultry and swine production in proximity to each other and to humans.