What’s going on?
Lead Investigator: Maria Mirabelli, PhD
In recent years, industrial hog facilities have replaced small, family-owned hog farms. Each facility houses hundreds to thousands of hogs in a limited area. Hog facilities flush animal waste from confinement houses into cesspools. Once the waste starts to decompose, it is sprayed onto nearby land as fertilizer. This can pollute the air, water, and land around the hog facility.
Research shows that neighbors of hog facilities report more breathing problems than other rural residents. Most studies focus on the effects of hog facilities on adults. Industrial hog facilities may affect children in different ways.