A framework for valuing the health benefits of improved bathing water quality in the River Irvine catchment

A simple model predicting bathing water concentrations of Escherichia coli from livestock in the Irvine catchment in SW Scotland has been adapted for intestinal enterococci (IE). This has been used to predict risk of bather illness by extrapolation of published data on bather IE exposure vs incidence of gastro-enteritis. Simulated reduction in the risk of illness by reduced faecal loading was multiplied by a willingness to pay for risk reduction to estimate the annual benefits of mitigation. Health benefits of reducing loading by 75% at Irvine Beach were estimated by a willingness to pay method to be about pound 276k pa. Estimated annualised costs of diffuse pollution mitigation measures across the catchment were higher (> pound 1m), and it is very unlikely that 75% mitigation is achievable with current stocking rates. Further work should explore the influence of uncertainty of model parameters, and use emerging epidemiological information on specific zoonotic pathogens such as E. coli O157 and Cryptosporidium. Other components of the value of clean water should also be included to obtain a complete estimate of the cost:benefit of mitigation.     

Diversity of antibiotic resistance genes and encoding ribosomal protection proteins gene in livestock waste polluted environment

The rapid development and increase of antibiotic resistance are global phenomena resulting from the extensive use of antibiotics in human clinics and animal feeding operations. Antibiotics can promote the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can be transferred horizontally to humans and animals through water and the food chain. In this study, the presence and abundance of ARGs in livestock waste was monitored by quantitative PCR. A diverse set of bacteria and tetracycline resistance genes encoding ribosomal protection proteins (RPPs) from three livestock farms and a river were analyzed through denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The abundance of sul(I) was 10³ to 10⁵ orders of magnitude higher than that of sul(II). Among 11 tet-ARGs, the most abundant was tet(O). The results regarding bacterial diversity indicated that the presence of antibiotics might have an evident impact on bacterial diversity at every site, particularly at the investigated swine producer. The effect of livestock waste on the bacterial diversity of soil was stronger than that of water. Furthermore, a sequencing analysis showed that tet(M) exhibited two genotypes, while the other RPPs-encoding genes exhibited at least three genotypes. This study showed that various ARGs and RPPs-encoding genes are particularly widespread among livestock.     

Loss of traditional knowledge aggravates wolf–human conflict in Georgia (Caucasus) in the wake of socio-economic change

Reports of the damage from wolf attacks have increased considerably over the last decade in Georgia (in the Caucasus). We interviewed locals about this problem in two focal regions: the Lanchkhuti area (in western Georgia) and Kazbegi District (in eastern Georgia) where livestock numbers had increased by an order of magnitude owing to dramatic shifts in the local economies over the last decade. This coincided with expanding habitats for wolves (abandoned plantations, for example). We found that the perceived damage from wolves was positively correlated with a poor knowledge of wolf habits and inappropriate livestock husbandry practices. Our results suggest a loss of traditional knowledge contributes strongly to the wolf–human conflicts in Georgia. Restoring traditional, simple but good practices—such as protecting herds using shepherd dogs and introducing bulls into the herds—can help one solve this problem.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-014-0580-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Comparison of Fenton and Photo-Fenton Processes for Livestock Wastewater Treatment

In this study, the photochemical degradation of livestock wastewater was carried out by the Fenton and Photo-Fenton processes. The effects of pH, reaction time, the molar ratio of Fe^{2 +}/H₂O₂, and the Fe^{2 +} dose were studied. The optimal conditions for the Fenton and Photo-Fenton processes were found to be at a pH of 4 and 5, an Fe^{2 +} dose of 0.066 M and 0.01 M, a concentration of hydrogen peroxide of 0.2 M and 0.1 M, and a molar ratio (Fe^{2 +}/H₂O₂) of 0.33 and 0.1, respectively. The optimal reaction times in the Fenton and Photo-Fenton processes were 60 min and 80 min, respectively. Under the optimal conditions of the Fenton and Photo-Fenton processes, the chemical oxygen demand (COD), color, and fecal coliform removal efficiencies were approximately 70–79, 70–85 and 96.0–99.4%, respectively.     

Ammonia emissions from livestock industries in Canada: Feasibility of abatement strategies

An updated national ammonia (NH₃) emissions inventory was employed to study the relationship between NH₃ emissions and livestock industries in Canada. Emissions from animal agriculture accounted for 322 kilotonnes (kt) or 64% of Canadian NH₃ emissions in 2002. Cattle and swine accounted for the bulk of livestock emissions. The provinces of Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan accounted for 28.1%, 22.0%, 18.7%, and 13.1% of total livestock emissions, respectively. Emissions from Ontario and Quebec were attributed to the intensive production of dairy, hogs and poultry. Dairy cattle emissions per hectolitre of milk were higher in Ontario and Québec than in other provinces, while swine emissions per livestock unit were higher than either beef or dairy cattle. A review of the abatement literature indicated diet manipulation to improve N efficiency and land spreading methods are very effective techniques to lower NH₃ emissions. Future research is required to evaluate the feasibility of biofilters and feces/urine separation methods.     

Phytotoxicity of atrazine and alachlor in soil amended with sludge,manure and activated carbon

Abstract

Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the influence of waste‐activated carbon (WAC), digested municipal sewage sludge (DMS), and animal manure on herbicidal activity of atrazine [2‐chloro‐4‐(ethylamino)‐6‐(isopropylamino)‐s‐trazine] and alachlor [2‐chloro‐2’,6'‐diethyl‐N‐(methoxymethyl)acetanilide] in a Plainfield sandy soil. Amendments generally reduced bioactivity against oat (Avena sativa L.) and Japanese millet (E. crus‐galli frumentacea). The extent to which herbicide phytotoxicity was inhibited depended upon the application rate and the kind of soil amendment. WAC, applied at the loading rate of 2.1 mt C/ha, showed a significant inhibitory effect on both herbicides. In DMS‐ and manure‐amended soil, the reduction of atrazine activity was not significant at the rate of 8.4 mt C/ha, but reduction of alachlor activity was significant at the rate of 4.2 mt C/ha. Despite inhibition of herbicidal activity, the ED₅₀ of atrazine and alachlor was below 2 ppm in most of the amendment treatments. Before adopting carbon‐rich waste amendments as management practices for controlling pesticide leaching in coarse‐textured soils, further studies are needed to characterize how alterations in sorption, leaching and degradation may affect herbicidal activity.     

Biodegradation of α and β Endosulfan in Soil as Influenced by Application of Different Organic Materials

Abstract

A laboratory pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of amending soil with four different sources of organic matter on the degradation rate of α and β endosulfan isomers. Poultry by-product meal, poultry manure, dairy manure, and municipal solid waste compost were cured, dried, ground (<1 mm) and thoroughly mixed with a calcareous soil at a rate of 2% and placed in plastic pots. Endosulfan was added at the rate of 20 mg kg^?1. The moisture level was kept near field capacity and the pots were kept at room temperature. Soil sub-samples, 100 g each, were collected from every pot at days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 43, and 57 for the measurement of endosulfan isomers. Endosulfan residues were extracted from the soil samples with acetone. The supernatant was filtered through anhydrous sodium sulphate, 5 mL aliquot was diluted to 25 mL with hexane, mixed well, and then two sub-samples from the filtrates were analyzed for α and β endosulfan isomers by gas chromatography. The results indicated that the half-life (T _½) of α-endosulfan in the poultry by-product meal treatment was 15 days compared to about 22 days in the other treatments. The T _½ of β-endosulfan was 22 days in the poultry by-product meal treatment and followed a bi-phasic pattern, 57 days in the municipal solid waste compost treatment and the extrapolated T _½ was about 115 days for the other three treatments.     

Geographic distribution and environmental characterization of livestock production systems in Eastern Africa

The central role played by livestock in the livelihoods of rural households in the developing world is seldom fully appreciated by policy makers, development agencies and donors. Knowledge gaps in the geographic distribution and environmental determinants of farming systems, especially if viewed through the livestock lens, compound this problem. We have produced a map of pastoral, agro-pastoral and mixed farming systems across Eastern Africa, by analysing datasets collected in the framework of livelihood analysis. Input data were gathered between 2000 and 2007 by various emergency and development agencies for Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and parts of Ethiopia and Sudan. A quantitative definition of the production systems is adopted, based on the ratio of livestock- to crop-derived income. The resulting livelihood-based map of livestock production systems was compared through correspondence analysis to an alternative livestock production systems map, produced independently from environmental data. Convergence between the two mapping approaches was evident. The geographic distribution of the livestock production systems was also modelled using multivariate analysis of remotely sensed and other geospatial datasets. Models show high statistical accuracy, and were thus used to fill the gaps in the observed distribution of livestock production systems. Finally, selected environmental factors underpinning the systems (agro-climatology, human and livestock populations and land cover) were analysed in detail, enabling the livestock production systems to be characterized in terms of them. The regional scope of the map, as well as its direct link with a vast amount of livelihood information, render it a valuable tool for a range of development and research applications, including those related to global change.     

推进养殖污染防治,实现产业优化与环境保护双赢——对《水污染防治行动计划》的解读

针对《水污染防治行动计划》提出的畜禽养殖污染治理思路和措施,梳理了我国现阶段畜禽养殖污染防治中存在的问题,对《水污染防治行动计划》中提出的"调布局、建设施、促利用"三大举措进行了分析和解读,提出了落实《水污染防治行动计划》的几项重点工作,为地方推进畜禽养殖污染防治工作提供参考。     

Efficacy of Vegetated Buffers in Preventing Transport of Fecal Coliform Bacteria from Pasturelands

An experimental study was conducted in Tillamook, Oregon, USA, to quantify the effectiveness of edge-of-field vegetated buffers for reducing transport of fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) from agricultural fields amended with dairy cow manure. Installation of vegetated buffers on loamy soils dramatically reduced the bacterial contamination of runoff water from manure-treated pasturelands, but the size of the vegetated buffer was not an important determinant of bacterial removal efficiency. Only 10% of the runoff samples collected from treatment cells having vegetated buffers exhibited FCB concentrations >200 colony forming units (cfu)/100 mL (a common water quality standard value), and the median concentration for all cells containing vegetated buffers was only 6 cfu/100 mL. The presence of a vegetated buffer of any size, from 1 to 25 m, generally reduced the median FCB concentration in runoff by more than 99%. Results for FCB load calculations were similar. Our results suggest that where substantial FCB contamination of runoff occurs from manure-treated pasturelands, it might be disproportionately associated with specific field or management conditions, such as the presence of soils that exhibit low water infiltration and generate larger volumes of runoff or the absence of a vegetated buffer. Buffer size regulations that do not consider such differences might not be efficient or effective in reducing bacterial contamination of runoff.