Exponential Growth, Animal Welfare, Environmental and Food Safety Impact: The Case of China’s Livestock Production

Developmental states are criticized for rapid “industrialization without enlightenment.” In the last 30 years, China’s breathtaking growth has been achieved at a high environmental and food safety cost. This article, utilizing a recent survey of China’s livestock industry, illustrates the initiating role of China’s developmental state in the exponential expansion of the country’s livestock production. The enthusiastic response of the livestock industry to the many state policy incentives has made China the world’s biggest animal farming nation. Shortage of meat and dairy supply is history. Yet, the Chinese government is facing new challenges of no less a threat to political stability. Production intensification has created a welfare crisis impacting the world’s biggest number of farm animals. The resulting food safety incidents are affecting consumer confidence and health. Untreated waste contributes to the nation’s environmental degradation. Developmental states may have a proud record of growth in the initial stage of industrialization. Their prospects for sustained development have long been questioned. China has come to an important juncture to march towards a sustained development.     

Do lagoons near concentrated animal feeding operations promote nitrous oxide supersaturation?

Animal wastewater lagoons nearby concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) represent the latest tendency in global animal farming, severely impacting the magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions, including nitrous oxide (N₂O). We hypothesized that lagoon wastewater could be supersaturated with N₂O as part of incomplete microbial nitrification/denitrification processes, thereby regulating the N₂O partitioning in the gaseous phase. The objectives of this study were: (i) to investigate the magnitude of dissolved N₂O concentrations in the lagoon; and (ii) to determine the extent to which supersaturation of N₂O occurs in wastewater lagoons. Dissolved N₂O concentrations in the wastewater samples were high, ranging from 0.4 to 40.5 μg N₂O mL⁻¹. Calculated dissolved N₂O concentrations from the experimentally measured partition coefficients were much greater than those typically expected in aquatic systems (<∼0.6 μg N₂O mL⁻¹). Knowledge of the factors controlling the magnitude of N₂O supersaturation could potentially bridge mass balance differences between in situ measurements and global N₂O models.     

Nitrous oxide supersaturation at the liquid/air interface of animal waste

Concentrated animal feeding operations around the globe generate large amounts of nitrous oxide (N₂O) in the surrounding atmosphere. Liquid animal waste systems have received little attention with respect to N₂O emissions. We hypothesized that the solution chemistry of animal waste aqueous suspensions would promote conditions that lead to N₂O supersaturation at the liquid/air interface. The concentration of dissolved N₂O in poultry litter (PL) aqueous suspensions at 25 °C was 0.36 μg N₂O mL⁻¹, at least an order of magnitude greater than that measured in water in equilibrium with ambient air, suggesting N₂O supersaturation. There was a nonlinear increase in the N₂O Henry constants of PL from 2810 atm/mole fraction at 35 °C to 17 300 atm/mole fraction at 41 °C. The extremely high N₂O Henry constants were partially ascribed to N₂O complexation with aromatic moieties. Complexed N₂O structures were unstable at temperatures > 35 °C, supplying the headspace with additional free N₂O concentrations.     

Measuring and modeling nitrous oxide and methane emissions from beef cattle feedlot manure management: First assessments under Brazilian condition

Intensive beef production has increased during recent decades in Brazil and may substantially increase both methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from manure management. However, the quantification of these gases and methods for extrapolating them are scarce in Brazil. A case study examines CH₄ and N₂O emissions from one typical beef cattle feedlot manure management continuum in Brazil and the applicability of Manure-DNDC model in predicting these emissions for better understand fluxes and mitigation options. Measurements track CH₄ and N₂O emissions from manure excreted in one housing floor holding 21 animals for 78 days, stockpiled for 73 days and field spread (360 kg N ha^?1). We found total emissions (CH₄ + N₂O) of 0.19 ± 0.10 kg CO₂eq per kg of animal live weight gain; mostly coming from field application (73%), followed housing (25%) and storage (2%). The Manure-DNDC simulations were generally within the statistical deviation ranges of the field data, differing in ?28% in total emission. Large uncertainties in measurements showed the model was more accurate estimating the magnitude of gases emissions than replicate results at daily basis. Modeled results suggested increasing the frequency of manure removal from housing, splitting the field application and adopting no-tillage system is the most efficient management for reducing emissions from manure (up to about 75%). Since this work consists in the first assessment under Brazilian conditions, more and continuous field measurements are required for decreasing uncertainties and improving model validations. However, this paper reports promising results and scientific perceptions for the design of further integrated work on farm-scale measurements and Manure-DNDC model development for Brazilian conditions.     

Socioeconomic Dimensions of Changes in the Agricultural Landscape of the Mediterranean Basin: A Case Study of the Abandonment of Cultivation Terraces on Nisyros Island,Greece

Agricultural landscapes illustrate the impact of human actions on physical settings, and differential human pressures cause these landscapes to change with time. Our study explored changes in the terraced landscapes of Nisyros Island, Greece, focusing on the socioeconomic aspects during two time periods using field data, cadastral research, local documents, and published literature, as well as surveys of the islanders. Population increases during the late 19^th to early 20^th centuries marked a significant escalation of terrace and dry stone wall construction, which facilitated cultivation on 58.4% of the island. By the mid-20^th century, the economic collapse of agricultural activities and consequent emigration caused the abandonment of cultivated land and traditional management practices, dramatically reducing farm and field numbers. Terrace abandonment continued in recent decades, with increased livestock grazing becoming the main land management tool; as a result, both farm and pasture sizes increased. Neglect and changing land use has led to deterioration and destruction of many terraces on the island. We discuss the socioeconomic and political backgrounds responsible for the land-use change before World War II (annexation of Nisyros Island by the Ottoman Empire, Italy, and Greece; overseas migration opportunities; and world transportation changes) and after the war (social changes in peasant societies; worldwide changes in agricultural production practices). The adverse landscape changes documented for Nisyros Island appear to be inevitable for modern Mediterranean rural societies, including those on other islands in this region. The island’s unique terraced landscapes may qualify Nisyros to become an archive or repository of old agricultural management techniques to be used by future generations and a living resource for sustainable management.     

Vegetarian Meat: Could Technology Save Animals and Satisfy Meat Eaters?

Between people who unabashedly support eating meat and those who adopt moral vegetarianism, lie a number of people who are uncomfortably carnivorous and vaguely wish they could be vegetarians. Opposing animal suffering in principle, they can ignore it in practice, relying on the visual disconnect between supermarket meat and slaughterhouse practices not to trigger their moral emotions. But what if we could have the best of both worlds in reality—eat meat and not harm animals? The nascent biotechnology of tissue culture, originally researched for medical applications, holds out just such a promise. Meat could be grown in vitro without killing animals. In fact, this technology may not just be an intriguing option, but might be our moral obligation to develop.     

Uptake and translocation of sulfamethazine by alfalfa grown under hydroponic conditions

Antibiotics are routinely used in intensive animal agriculture operations collectively known as Concentrated Animal Feed Operations(CAFO) which include dairy, poultry and swine farms. Wastewater generated by CAFOs often contains low levels of antibiotics and is typically managed in an anaerobic lagoon. The objective of this research is to investigate the uptake and fate of aqueous sulfamethazine(SMN) antibiotic by alfalfa(Medicago sativa)grass grown under hydroponic conditions. Uptake studies were conducted using hydroponically grown alfalfa in a commercially available nutrient solution supplemented with 10 mg/L of SMN antibiotic. Analysis of alfalfa sap, root zone, middle one-third, and top portion of the foliage showed varying uptake rate and translocation of SMN. The highest average amount of SMN(8.58 μg/kg) was detected in the root zone, followed by the top portion(1.89 μg/kg), middle one-third(1.30 μg/kg), and sap(0.38 μg/kg) samples, indicating a clear distribution of SMN within the sampled regions. The ultraviolet(UV) spectra of parent SMN and translocated SMN identified in different parts of the plant present the possibility of metabolization during the uptake process. Uptake of SMN using alfalfa grown under hydroponic conditions has potential as a promising remediation technology for removal of similar antibiotics from wastewater lagoons.     

水中石油类和动植物油类测定标准的探讨

对水中油类测定的新旧标准---《水质石油类和动植物油类的测定红外分光光度法》（ HJ 637-2012）和《水质石油类和动植物油类的测定红外分光光度法》（ GB/T 16488-1996）作比较,前者的内容中增加了总油的定义,修改了干燥剂的处理条件、样品体积的测量方法及萃取条件和萃取液脱水方式,删除了絮凝富集萃取的内容。试验证明,改进后的方法降低了检出限和空白干扰,样品体积测量更加准确。     

Determination of PCDDs and PCDFs in different animal feed ingredients

As result of a study to control feedstuff, analyses were carried out to evaluate the contamination caused by PCDDs and PCDFs in different animal feed ingredients. Thirty two samples were selected, including ingredients of animal and mineral origin. For samples of mineral origin, some additives widely employed as binder and anticaking agents, such as bentonite, damoline, kaolin, magnesite, sepiolite and zeolite were selected. And, for ingredients of animal origin, samples of hemoglobin, animal fat, fish oil, fish meal and meat and bone meal were analyzed. The levels ranged from 0.52 to 9.08 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat for samples of animal origin, and from 0.05 to 460.59 pg WHO-TEQ/g for samples of mineral origin. The higher concentrations were observed for the kaolin samples that presented high levels of dioxin contamination.     

Comprehensive study on dioxin contents in binder and anti-caking agent feed additives

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were determined in some additives widely employed as binder and anti-caking agents in feedstuffs, such as kaolin, bentonite, zeolite, etc. with an special attention on sepiolite samples. Owing to their physico-chemical properties, the little information of these materials reported in the literature, the variability of PCDDs/PCDFs found in a preliminary evaluation and the absence of reference materials highlighted further research needed. Therefore, an extensive study on the analytical procedures based on the classical methods was performed with sepiolite samples. The study includes evaluation of reproducibility and repeatibility. To this end, a series of intra-day and nine inter-day analysis were made. The methodolgy was also assessed against the sample size and series of 12.5, 25, 37.5 and 50 g were analyzed. In all cases, the results confirmed good correlation with the parameters evaluated.