News » Agriculture and air pollution

02.11.2016

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The UK?s Financial Times reports that agriculture is Europe?s biggestcontributor to air-pollution related mortality. Based on a Netherlandsgovernment funded study (not yet published), the article states that airaround ?farming hotspots? can be as damaging to health as in a citywith traffic. A key problem is indicated to be ammonia, released frommanures in livestock production, manure storage and spreading. Ammoniacan combine with other atmospheric pollutants to form particles whichcan damage the lung and the heart. 94% of Europe?s ammonia emissionscome from agriculture. A study of 2 500 persons in the Netherlandsindicated that people living within <1km of 15 or more farms showedan average 5% worse lung function. Lung health was also negativelycorrelated to atmospheric ammonia exposure.

?Farming ?hotspots? carry air pollution risk, Dutch study finds?, P. Clark, Financial Times, 2 September 2016. Study by Lidwien Smit, Utrecht University, Netherlands.

Federacja Zielonych GAJA
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Coalition Clean Baltic
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SHORT ABOUT THE PROJECT

Project Industrial animal farms in the Baltic Sea Region - sustainable practices to reduce nutrient loads is a part of a long-term campaign of the Coalition Clean Baltic and Green Federation "GAJA", aiming to reduce the negative impact of large-scale animal production on the environment and local communities in the Baltic Sea Region, particularly by reducing nutrient run-off into the sea. The project is part-financed by the European Union. This website reflects only the view of the Coalition Clean Baltic. The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

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