Livestock Ammonia Management and Particulate-Related Health Benefits

Agricultural operations are the largest source of ammonia emissions in the United States and contribute to the formation of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate, two prevalent forms of fine particulate matter. Researchers have found an association between fine particulate matter and a variety of adverse healths effects, including premature mortality, chronic bronchitis, hospital admissions, and asthma attacks. Management practices that reduce ammonia emissions may decrease adverse health effects, resulting in significant economic benefits. We estimated the impact of a variety of emission controls, including diet optimization, alum, and incorporation of manure into the land. The results suggest that relatively modest management policies can have a significant impact on fine particulate formation in the atmosphere. Because of the heterogeneous nature of particulate matter, a key question is the importance of particulate matter size and composition. To the extent that ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate contribute to adverse health effects, ammonia management may have significant health implications. Our results suggestthat a 10% reduction in livestock ammonia emissions can lead to over 4 billion annually in particulate-related health benefits.