Intensive livestock farming has caused a lot of concern among local residents in recent years. The fear of being struck by a certain disease has been great since Q fever has claimed a number of victims. The health risk would mainly lie in the particulate matter produced by livestock farms, which depends on the type of animals, their housing and the time of year. For example, the concentration is higher in poultry and pigs than in cattle.
Particulate matter and health risks
Little research has been conducted into the safety of local residents. Such research involves measuring the presence of micro-organisms near a livestock farm. The particulate matter and its chemical composition in particular could pose a health risk. An important aspect of such research is what the minimum distance between a livestock farm and a residential area should be.
Particulate matter and removal
Particulate matter is the collective name for air particles of different origins. The particulate matter from a livestock farm has a substantially different composition than the particulate matter in cities. The concentrations of these dust particles initially depend on emissions and generally decrease as the distance from livestock farming increases. Meteorological conditions and vegetation and any buildings may also have an influence on this decrease.
Lack of scientific research
Unfortunately, there is still a lack of sufficient knowledge about the health risks of particulate matter. Although it is assumed that health risks exist, the nature and extent are not precisely known due to a lack of scientific research. More is known about exposure to particulate matter and the health risks in urban areas, but these data are not useful for assessing the risks around livestock farms because the particulate matter in urban areas differs too much from that around livestock farms.
Q fever and safe distance
It is known that, for example, with regard to Q fever, there are more victims at a shorter distance from goat stables and there are indications that pneumonia occurs more often in the vicinity of goat stables and poultry farms. But there is still insufficient data base to lead to possible measures. Only in the case of Q fever is it known that distances of about five kilometers can be involved.
Odor Nuisance and Livestock Farms Act
Because there are no hard data available that indicate which distance entails increased risks for local residents, that distance is not based on the presence of particulate matter. The minimum distances currently used in practice are based on odor nuisance. The standards for this come from the Odor Nuisance and Livestock Farming Act.
Odor and health complaints from local livestock farm residents
However, local residents are often concerned about the health risks they run if the distance is too short. They sometimes also associate the smell of a livestock farm with health, and it is quickly assumed that an unpleasant odor is associated with pathogens. Health problems can arise based on this alone.
Concern and local policy
To meet the concerns of local residents, there are calls for minimum distances to be determined locally. Based on what local residents consider to be too short a distance, the government cannot currently determine which distance should be considered unacceptable. After all, there are no national standards for the minimum distance between a livestock farm and a residential area. Therefore, in the absence of a national regulation, a local policy should be developed by the municipality in collaboration with the GGD and stakeholders.
Reducing emissions
But more important than that distance is reducing particle emissions from the stables. Air scrubbers can play an important role in this, but continued attention will also be necessary to make the livestock farming sector more sustainable.