224444 Collaborative investigation of the microbiological safety of run-off near industrial compared to sustainable hog operations

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 8:50 AM - 9:10 AM

Christopher D. Heaney, PhD , Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Naeema Muhammad , Concerned Citizens of Tillery, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, Rocky Mount, NC
Steve Wing, PhD , School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Jill Stewart, PhD , Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC
Jen Shields, PhD , Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC
Kevin Myers , Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC
Alice Ammerman, DrPH, RD , Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Dothula Baron-Hall, MA , Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help, Warsaw, NC
Devon Hall , Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help, Warsaw, NC
Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) pollute air and water and affect worker and community health. Questions about the safety of sub-therapeutic antibiotic use in animal feed and veterinary care, storage and land application of fecal wastes, and impacts of run-off on neighboring waterways have become common. Antibiotic resistant bacteria strains identified in community outbreaks have also been linked to swine herds, confinement house workers, and the environment surrounding industrial hog operation in Europe and the US. Although fecal wastes from hog CAFOs can impact surface water quality, traditional microbiological measurements required by Clean Water Act regulations fail to provide source-specific information. This deficiency presents problems for generating a knowledge base for action by agencies and exposed communities seeking change of industrial livestock operation practices and elected officials' policy decisions. An interdisciplinary CBPR partnership has been formed to characterize run-off at industrial versus sustainable hog operations using traditional indicators of microbiological water safety and novel source-tracking markers. Strengths and weaknesses of traditional microbial methods will be highlighted and the research questions related to public health compliance vs source tracking of fecal microbial pollution in water will be reviewed. Results of pilot testing in collaboration with community partners assessing the impacts of run-off from industrial livestock operations compared to sustainable operations will be presented. Pilot data will include results of sampling of hog lagoon fecal wastes, environmental sampling up- and down-stream of hog operations, and swipe-sampling on- and off-site of livestock operations (e.g., surfaces, animals, workers).

Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health biology
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the public health impacts of industrial hog production 2. Explain the demographic groups within NC that are disproportionately impacted by swine concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) 3. Discuss a community-based participatory research partnership to investigate water quality near industrial and local, sustainable hog operations 4. List the strengths and weaknesses of traditional microbial measurement methods compared to novel molecular methods that can be used to track sources of fecal pollution in run-off 5. Explain deficiencies in the knowledge base needed to support community efforts to change of industrial hog operation policies and practices.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Water

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have 10 years of experience in CBPR practice and have performed numerous interdisciplinary research projects in the fields of environmental health microbiology and epidemiology.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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