Article misses an important pollutant from chicken farms.
A Washington Post article that focused on nutrients in chicken manure polluting the Chesapeake Bay failed to mention other important effects – especially elevated arsenic levels.
In a March 2 Washington Post article, some of the detrimental impacts of chicken farms on the eastern shore of Maryland were highlighted. Environmental impacts of waste runoff include high phosphorus and nitrogen levels in the Chesapeake Bay that can lead to algal blooms and “dead zones.” The article was correct in this; waste from these large farms is a key area for potential remediation.
However, left from the article were other important impacts of the waste: pharmaceuticals, most notably elevated releases of arsenic.
Large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) – sometimes called "factory farms" – have become the method of choice for raising U.S. broiler chickens, with the number of farms steadily decreasing and production per farm increasing. In a 2003 publication, the U.S. Geologic Survey estimated that 250-350,000 kilograms of arsenic is applied to the land from chicken waste annually. This arsenic primarily comes from a feed additive, roxarsone, which is used by some producers in an attempt to keep the animals free from disease in the confined conditions.
Application of chicken waste as fertilizer and runoff from waste piles can potentially increase arsenic in both ground and surface water. In an area of the country reliant on wells for drinking water, the potential impact to ground water is an issue on the Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) peninsula.
Arsenic is a known human carcinogen that has also been linked to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, neurologic effects and birth defects. In 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reduced the maximum allowable level of arsenic in drinking water to 10 parts per billion.
Some large chicken producers, including Tyson, have announced in recent years that they no longer use roxarsone. It has been banned in Europe, where producers have replaced it by implementing improved conditions in the chicken houses and using other methods to control disease. In the United States, the first effort to ban the substance as a food additive was started last fall with the introduction of a bill that would amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
While the article was focused on a new lawsuit brought against poultry processors for not adequately controlling nutrients and bacteria in manure-laden runoff, mentioning other important environmental and health concerns of animal waste would broaden the issue in the public's mind.
