Swine Industrial Livestock Operations (ILOs) are a significant source of air pollution in eastern North Carolina.The state’s 2,292 permitted swine ILOs are concentrated in rural, poor, and Black neighborhoods long-affected... [ view full abstract ]
Swine Industrial Livestock Operations (ILOs) are a significant source of air pollution in eastern North Carolina.The state’s 2,292 permitted swine ILOs are concentrated in rural, poor, and Black neighborhoods long-affected by racial, economic, and environmental injustices. Air emissions from swine ILOs directly negatively impact rural life by causing disease symptoms including respiratory impairment, stress, negative mood, and increased blood pressure; experiences of these symptoms can have also secondary effects on well-being.
I address an important gap in the literature on the impact of swine ILOs on community health by quantifying the effects of air emissions from swine ILO on sleep and outdoor activities, two impacts that have been documented in qualitative research. Sleep is essential for health and the enjoyment of life; less-than-recommended (<7h) sleep duration is associated with mental illness, weight gain, accidents, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and mortality through circadian, stress, and hormonal pathways. Outdoor activities including physical activity, home and vehicle maintenance, gardening, hunting, socialization, and relaxation are particularly important to health and quality of life in rural areas.
I use data from the Community Health Effects of Industrial Hog Operations (CHEIHO) study to estimate the effects of ambient swine ILO pollutant concentrations on sleep and time outdoors among those living nearby. CHEIHO was a community-based, participatory research project that collected repeated assessments of air pollutant concentrations, sleep duration, and time outdoors over a two-week study period. Preliminary results suggest that community exposure to ILO air emissions adversely effects sleep quality and time spent outdoors. A better understanding of the impacts of swine ILO pollutant exposures is important for guiding policy and technology development to protect the health of communities without hindering sustainable agricultural production.
