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Air pollution from New Mexico’s large, concentrated dairy farms causes an estimated $217 million in annual health care costs, with most of the damage coming from ammonia emissions that form dangerous particulate matter, according to a new study.
of Learning before printing from Journal of Agricultural Resource Economics estimated for the first time the cost of air pollution to the state’s dairy industry and found that the health costs of raising dairy cows in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) offset approximately 15% of the industry’s revenues. The researchers also used data from New Mexico to estimate the total cost of such CAFO dairy contamination in the United States at $33 billion annually.
New Mexico is a top 10 dairy producing state and has the largest and most concentrated dairy herd in the country. state define A dairy CAFO is a farm that has 700 or more mature dairy cows (large CAFO) or 200 to 699 mature dairy cows (medium CAFO) and where the animals are confined for more than 45 days per year.
New Mexico State University Dairy Extension Program estimate The state’s dairy industry brings in more than $2 billion annually to the state and employs more than 6,800 people. However, the number of dairy farms in New Mexico has declined from 46,000 to 26,000 over the past decade, a 44% decline.
This consolidation means that the majority of dairy cows are in CAFOs. CAFOs are a major source of ammonia emissions. It can irritate people’s eyes and respiratory systems, and it can react with other air pollutants to form particulate matter pollution (PM2.5). Inhaling PM2.5 particles, tiny air pollutants one-thirtieth the width of a human hair, has been linked to asthma, heart and lung problems, and premature birth. Ammonia contributes to 30% of PM2.5 pollution in the United States, according to estimate.
Estimation 80% of ammonia in the atmosphereis a nitrogen-based gas that comes from agriculture through fertilizers and animal waste. in 2023researchers looked at the prevalence of CAFOs and ammonia air pollution across the United States and found that levels were highest in counties with high livestock densities.
In a new study, Researchers estimated emissions from 337,000 dairy cows from 132 dairy CAFOs in New Mexico. They then calculated health care costs and found that dairy emissions were responsible for an estimated 20 premature deaths and $217.66 million in health care costs.
Suraj Ghimire, lead author of the new paper and a researcher and assistant professor in the New Mexico Institute of Mines and Technology’s Department of Computer Science, said location appears to be a bigger factor in a farm’s environmental footprint than herd size.
“Farms located near major cities experience an average annual loss of $1,086 per cow, which is more than double the $544 per cow incurred on farms in rural areas,” he said. “Downwind communities are bearing the brunt of health care costs without receiving any of the dairy income to supplement them.”
“Downwind communities are bearing the brunt of health care costs.” – Suraj Ghimire, New Mexico Institute of Mines and Technology
The researchers cautioned that the health care cost estimates are likely conservative because they “exclude other pollutants from dairy CAFOs, such as hydrogen sulfide, volatile organic compounds, bioaerosols, and odors, as well as ecosystem damage from water quality and nutrient runoff.”
Neither the New Mexico Dairy Producers Association nor DairyMax, the regional National Dairy Council affiliate that covers New Mexico, responded to requests for comment on the new study’s findings. The New Mexico Dairy Producers Association says on its website that it is “working closely with environmental advisors and local and regional environmental regulators to develop environmentally sound, prudent and efficient operating procedures.”
This new discovery comes as dairy products feature prominently in the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. released in January. The update includes a new food pyramid that primarily features “protein, dairy, and healthy fats” and “vegetables and fruits,” with “whole grains” making up a smaller portion. The new guidelines differ from previous versions in that they suggest full-fat dairy products rather than fat-free or low-fat versions.
CAFO regulations
“This study seems to indicate that ammonia is not on NMED’s radar…which is not the case,” said Drew Goretzka, director of public affairs for the New Mexico Department of the Environment (NMED).
“This study seems to show that ammonia is not on NMED’s radar…but that’s actually not the case.” – Drew Goretzka, New Mexico Department of the Environment
He said the agency’s Bureau of Atmospheric Affairs models ammonia from facilities that require air quality permits, and this includes the production of secondary PM2.5. Currently, five dairy CAFOs in the state require Air Quality Bureau (AQB) permits.
“Facilities licensed or registered with the AQB are required to submit ammonia emissions to an emissions inventory, and the (Air Quality Bureau) is expanding its air monitoring network, including PM2.5, across the state,” he said.
In deciding where to install new air monitoring equipment, the agency “takes seriously the claims in this new study and will consider this research,” he said, adding that none of its current condition monitoring equipment shows PM2.5 levels that exceed national air quality standards, including in areas where dairy CAFOs are located.
The researchers acknowledged some limitations of the study, including that emissions were calculated estimates rather than direct measurements, and that weather patterns and atmospheric chemistry can vary from state to state.
Ghimire said the study points to “some necessary shifts in agricultural policy,” including tightening regulations in places where more people live and considering potential impacts on air quality when granting CAFO permits.
Featured image credit: Brian Bienkowski/TNL
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Brian Bienkowski is the editor-in-chief of The New Lede. He is a veteran journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the environment and human health. Prior to joining TNL, he was a senior editor at Environmental Health News for nearly a decade, overseeing the newsroom and two local bureaus. He was also the founder, producer, and host of the EJ podcast Agents of Change from 2020 to 2024.
Bienkowski has received multiple awards for her editing and reporting, including honors from the Healthcare Journalists Association, Columbia School of Journalism, Hunter College, and the Environmental Journalists Association. He has a master’s degree in environmental journalism from Michigan State University and lives in northern Michigan.
