Summary
This study found that adults from Wisconsin, United States, who lived within 1.5 miles from a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) had a higher risk for allergies and signs of significantly more severe asthma compared to residents who lived further away from a CAFO. When exploring a range of distances, the increase in respiratory health problems was found to be around 2 to 3 fold, depending on the pathology and the distances compared. Among the strengths of this study is the consideration of potential other factors that can influence respiratory health like owning pets, smoking and demographic factors. However the overall number of people in the data set who live near CAFOs is relatively small, which can lead to statistical distortion. Another possible limitation is the reliance on self-reports of health conditions, which are always prone to recall errors. In conclusion, the authors underscore that “current evidence suggests that large livestock farms may contribute to health disparities among rural residents”.
Air emissions from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) have been associated with respiratory and allergic symptoms among farm workers, primarily on swine farms. Despite the increasing prevalence of CAFOs, few studies have assessed respiratory health implications among residents living near CAFOs and few have looked at the health impacts of dairy CAFOs.