What’s going on?
Lead Investigator: Maria Mirabelli, PhD
Industrial hog facilities house large numbers of livestock. Hog facilities flush waste into open-air pits and spray decaying waste on land. This can pollute local soil, air, and water. Pollution from these facilities affects the health of livestock farm workers and hog facility neighbors.
Research shows that neighbors of industrial hog facilities report more asthma symptoms, headaches, runny noses, sore throats, coughing, diarrhea, and burning eyes than people who do not live near hog facilities.
This study looks at students’ exposure to pollution from hog facilities in North Carolina middle schools.