Issue 10, Jan/Feb 2016                                                                                                                           
Farm ammonia insignificant compared to wood stoves, vehicle emissions
Ammonia emissions from dairy barns
and fields not harmful


(The following article appeared in the Yakima Valley Business Times, January 9, 2016)

 Air quality in the Yakima Valley gets worse during the winter months, from November to February, when many residents keep warm with wood burning stoves that, when blended with vehicle emissions, bring significant air quality challenges in the Valley .  The Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency (YRCAA) continues to work on improving air quality with local residents and businesses, including farms.  Although research reveals small amounts of ammonia emissions from farms, experts say these emissions are insignificant and do not pose an overall threat to human health.

Pius Ndegwa, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biological Systems Engineering at Washington State University, is a nationally recognized expert in Biological Systems Engineering.  Ndegwa was Washington state's principle investigator in a two-year ammonia emissions monitoring study that involved 15 universities across the U.S., measuring ammonia concentrations in dairy barns and from lagoons.  Research findings, published in peer reviewed journals, revealed that ammonia emissions were "very low" in the barns and in the air immediately outside the barns. 

"Our long term studies indicate concentrations or levels of ammonia in the barns and air outside the dairy barns are significantly below the permissible exposure limits set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety Health (NIOSH)," Dr. Ndegwa says. "The data indicate that even in the rare event that a farm worker is in the barn for an entire 8-hour shift, there should be little safety or health concern from exposure to ammonia."

"In an open dry lot, ammonia concentrations average approximately 1 part-per-million (ppm), which is also significantly lower than OSHA and NIOSH levels to trigger any health concerns," Dr. Ndegwa continued. "Other research data indicate that ammonia emissions from field land following surface manure nutrient application fall in the same order of magnitude as that in the barns or dry-lots - and much lower if manure is directly injected into the soil.  Therefore, the issue of health from these emissions would not be applicable, either. And for those living adjacent to fields where manure nutrients are applied, the concentrations they would receive or perceive are much less because ammonia in the air is dispersed during transport downwind." Read More
Dairy farm safety programs protect workers 
Dairy farmers conduct regular
 "tailgate" safety briefings
Corwyn Fischer is one of three experienced farm safety directors at the Washington Farm Bureau where several thousand farmers and farm managers get a full range of safety training and education every year.  "Safety is definitely a front-burner topic on all farms and since the early 'seventies farms are required to have a written safety program," he said.  "Nobody wants to see anybody injured.  We emphasize training and the benefits of an injury-free workplace."

Farmers formalized on-the-job safety best practices following the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act that was enacted in 1973.  Since then the Washington Department of Labor & Industries [L&I], Washington State Farm Bureau and other organizations have helped farmers develop safety training and presentations; assistance in creating farm safety plans; hazard assessments; farm audits; and safety awareness and promotion programs.

The Washington Farm Bureau annually conducts 15-17 safety education workshops specifically for farm operations, in addition to conducting hundreds of on-site visits to help farmers manage safety programs. 

Most farm equipment now has "guarding" around chains, sprockets, belts and pulleys to prevent injuries.   "Although farmers are on the seats of tractors or moving equipment much of the time, there are few injuries because of the training and awareness that's out there to prevent those types of injuries," Fischer says. "Most injuries now come from sprains, strains, falls or 'struck against falls at the same level,' and from ladders in orchards and on farms." 

Third-generation dairy farmer Jason Sheehan, his wife Karen and Karen's parents, Tony and Brenda Veiga, operate the 3,000 milking cow J & K Dairy on 900 acres near Sunnyside; the dairy employs 36 full time, year-round employees.    
Read More
Air quality management improves for future generations
Dairy cow nutrition formulas reduce odor and emissions
Every business organization that emits particulate matter into Valley air is subject to Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency (YRCAA) inspection, review and deployment of "best management practices" (BMP)  to reduce emissions. Livestock agriculture is no exception -- as the YRCAA works with livestock operations, including dairy farmers, on BMPs to minimize farm related dust emissions.
 
Dr. Hasan M. Tahat has worked as an environmental engineer with the YRCAA for more than 17 years with a professional goal of "improving air quality for future generations."  He has visited more than 50 Valley dairies over time, advising farmers about practices and systems to reduce emissions and suppress odor.
 
"The dairies have generally gone beyond what is required, including some farms that have completely enclosed the feeding systems; developed various nutrition feed profiles and feed management systems; and made changes in the milking parlor and grazing and manure management," he said.  "And 99% of Valley dairies have a nutritionist consultant for a nutrition system that eventually reduces emissions and odor while maintaining production and milking cow care." 
 
Valley dairies joined with the YRCAA in 2010 to identify eight common air pollutants for which science-based systems could be employed to prevent or reduce emissions and odor.  Applying recommendations from the National Academy of Science, and collaborative work with dairy farmers and the YRCAA, science-based systems for BMPs were established for:  Nutrition; Feed Management; Housing - freestall barns; Housing - dry lot pens; Grazing;  Manure Management; and Land Application (fertilizer and manure-based fertilizer).  

 

Dairyland News is distributed to dairy farm families, business leaders/dairy farm suppliers, government staff, elected officials, and news media to show how dairy farmers contribute to the community, with safe operations,  best farm management practices and effective stewardship of land and animals.  Dairyland News is produced by the Washington Dairy Products Commission in cooperation with the Washington State Dairy Federation.  

All articles have been reviewed/approved by those quoted or referenced .  

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