Abstract

There is a demand for more knowledge about the effect of livestock farming on air quality. Specifically, this concerns the daily, monthly and seasonal changes in the concentration of pollutants in the air around livestock farms. To find out more, several knowledge organisations have investigated these changes in various locations in south-east Brabant, using a variety of methods.

This particular study consisted of measuring the air quality on the farmyard of a livestock farm in Hulsel and on the property of people living nearby. Both the average air quality and peaks in the concentration of pollutants in the air were measured. The results were compared with the air quality in a location in a municipality with many (Deurne) and few livestock farms (Heeze).

No effect of the livestock farm in Hulsel on the air quality on the property of people living nearby was found. It is likely that the livestock farm has some effect, but this could not be distinguished from the effect of other sources in the immediate surroundings and further away. Consequently, no general conclusions can be inferred from these measurements conducted on and around a single livestock farm.

The study carried out in Hulsel also looked at how people living nearby perceived their living environment. Because only a small number of people took part, no firm conclusions can be drawn on the basis of their perceptions. The participants indicated that they mostly perceived their health and living environment as good. Several local people reported regular incidences of odour nuisance from stables and noise nuisance from road traffic. However, they reported little ‘severe nuisance’.

Although the measured concentrations of ammonia were low, they were enough to cause the presence of more fine particles in the air. A large amount of fine particles in the air increases the risk of heart, lung and vascular disease. It is impossible to say whether the amount of fine particles in the measurement area exceeds the guideline value of the World Health Organization for air quality. The study was of insufficient duration for this, as measurements for this purpose need to be conducted for at least a year.

Furthermore, the amount of endotoxins (small pieces of bacterial cell wall) in the air was measured in the aforementioned locations in the municipalities with many and few livestock farms. Endotoxins may also lead to respiratory symptoms. The concentrations in both locations were below the guideline value of the Health Council of the Netherlands.

This study was carried out by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) and the Municipal Public Health Services. It was commissioned by the Regional Air Quality & Noise Monitoring Network for south-east Brabant.