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Bryan Bunton,¹ Patrick O'Shaughnessy,² Sean Fitzsimmons,¹ John Gering,¹ Stephen Hoff,³ Merete Lyngbye,⁴ Peter S. Thorne,² Jeffrey Wasson,⁵ and Mark Werner⁶

¹Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa, USA; ²College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA; ³Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA; ⁴The National Committee for Pig Production, Copenhagen, Denmark; ⁵University Hygienic Laboratory, Iowa City, Iowa, USA; ⁶Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Abstract
Accurate monitors are required to determine ambient concentration levels of contaminants emanating from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) , and accurate models are required to indicate the spatial variability of concentrations over regions affected by CAFOs. A thorough understanding of the spatial and temporal variability of concentration levels could then be associated with locations of healthy individuals or subjects with respiratory ailments to statistically link the presence of CAFOs to the prevalence of ill health effects in local populations. This workgroup report, which was part of the Conference on Environmental Health Impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Anticipating Hazards—Searching for Solutions, describes instrumentation currently available for assessing contaminant concentration levels in the vicinity of CAFOs and reviews plume dispersion models that may be used to estimate concentration levels spatially. Recommendations for further research with respect to ambient air monitoring include accurately determining long-term average concentrations for a region under the influence of CAFO emissions using a combination of instruments based on accuracy, cost, and sampling duration. In addition, development of instruments capable of accurately quantifying adsorbed gases and volatile organic compounds is needed. Further research with respect to plume dispersion models includes identifying and validating the most applicable model for use in predicting downwind concentrations from CAFOs. Additional data are needed to obtain reliable emission rates from CAFOs. Key words: ammonia, animal feeding operation, dispersion model, hydrogen sulfide, monitor, odor, particulate matter, poultry, swine. Environ Health Perspect 115:303–307 (2007) . doi:10.1289/ehp.8838 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 14 November 2006]

This article is part of the mini-monograph "Environmental Health Impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Anticipating Hazards—Searching for Solutions."

Address correspondence to P.S. Thorne, College of Public Health, 100 Oakdale Campus, The University of Iowa, 176 IREH, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA. Telephone: (319) 335-4216. Fax: (319) 335-4225. E-mail: peter-thorne@uiowa.edu

This workshop was supported by grant P30 ES05605-14S from the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center at The University of Iowa and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.

Received 10 November 2005 ; accepted 13 November 2006.