First-of-its-kind study links air pollution from farms, mainly livestock, estimating nearly 18,000 U.S. deaths a year

Washington Post graphic breaks out estimates produced by study; click on it to enlarge.

Air pollution from farms is responsible for 17,900 deaths per year in the United States, according to a first-of-its-kind report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Animal agriculture is the worst emitter, researchers say, responsible for 80 percent of deaths from pollution related to food production," Sarah Kaplan reports for The Washington Post. Gases associated with manure and animal feed produce small, lung-irritating particles capable of drifting hundreds of miles. These emissions now account for more annual deaths than pollution from coal power plants. Yet while pollution from power plants, factories and vehicles is restricted under the Clean Air Act, there is less regulation of air quality around farms."

Meat industry representatives questioned the study. National Pork Producers Council spokesperson Jim Monroe said in an email to the Post that the findings were "highly suspect" and that the study "irresponsibly draws conclusions based on modeling and estimates." Monroe cited a 2019 study that found significant reductions in ammonia content from pig farms, Kaplan reports.

Jason Hill, lead author of the report, said this is the first major report to link specific foods to air-pollution deaths. "While greenhouse gases cause the same amount of warming no matter where on the planet they’re produced, the health effects of air pollution are dependent on atmospheric chemistry, local weather, and the size and health of communities living nearby," Kaplan reports. "Only with advanced new air-quality models has it become possible to pinpoint the consequences of pollution produced hundreds of miles away."