Intensive livestock operators have to accept that people’s complaints about odors are not frivolous, says a representative with Alberta Environment.
The size of proposed sites frightens people and there are few rules governing what an operator does on his property, said Jay Litke.
His department deals with complaints and while it realizes accidents happen, there are repercussions for those who do not comply with pollution laws.
“Your industry can’t avoid the regulatory net if a small portion of your industry continues to carry an indifference to protection of the environment,” said Litke, who spoke at a recent manure management seminar.
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Government and judges are starting to take complaints more seriously.
If a property causes an adverse effect, the Alberta Environmental Protection Act can force a cleanup and impose a heavy fine. If an operation contaminates a fishery, federal legislation may kick in.
Science may also be on the enforcer’s side.
Studies are under way in North America on the prevalence of odors and their effect on people. Odor problems can range from annoyance to physical irritation in some sensitive individuals, said Agriculture Canada’s Sean McGinn.
Dangerous to health
The ability to smell an offensive odor is a defence mechanism. If odor is a continuing problem, affected communities suffer more tension and depression, according to one North Carolina study. In some sensitive people, odor harms respiratory health. It is not known whether odor causes stress-related illness.
“The observed effects on health are variable but compelling,” said Brent Auverman, an agriculture engineer at Texas A & M University.
Conversely, extreme exposures may cause a type of olfactory paralysis where people don’t notice the smell any more.
There is also a problem with sham odors and sham responses. People think they can smell a feedlot before the animals have even moved in. Or, the appearance of an intensive livestock operation can sometimes trigger a negative response and people think they can smell it.
Scientists like McGinn and Auverman have studied the chemistry of odor.
Smells are caused by a number of compounds. Odors are the result of incomplete decomposition of carbohydrates. Incomplete fermentation can let loose a number of compounds into the air. There are 150 compounds in swine manure, for example.
Ammonia is one of the most common compounds. It has a pungent smell and is detectable at 1,000 parts per billion. It causes irritation at 25,000 parts per billion.
The rotten egg smell of hydrogen sulfide is noticeable at 0.5 parts per billion and causes irritation at 10,000 parts per billion. Volatile fatty acids often produce a sour smell.
Dairy farms have a higher concentration of volatile fatty acids, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. Feedlots and piggeries emit more ammonia.
