(Press-News.org) A groundbreaking study led by researchers from the University of Virginia has used satellite measurements to show the long-term persistence of air pollution inequalities tied to industrialized swine facilities in Eastern North Carolina. Using satellite data spanning a 15-year period from 2008–2023, the study quantifies disparities in ammonia (NH₃) — an air pollutant emitted by swine operations — for Black, Hispanic and Indigenous communities. These inequalities, exacerbated by hot and calm weather conditions, extend for multiple kilometers beyond the immediate vicinity of the facilities, highlighting the widespread impact of this environmental issue.
The study, published in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology by Sally Pusede and her team in the Department of Environmental Sciences at UVA, uses data from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) aboard multiple polar-orbiting satellites. By analyzing NH₃ levels in the atmosphere, UVA researchers were able to show that emissions from industrial swine operations result in systematic environmental inequalities.
Among the study’s key findings were that air pollution inequalities can be measured from space. Satellite data analyzed by the research team revealed that NH₃ levels were significantly higher in areas with dense populations of Black, Hispanic and Indigenous residents. Compared to non-Hispanic white populations, NH₃ concentrations were on average 27% higher for Black communities, 35% higher for Hispanic communities and 49% higher for Indigenous communities during the years 2016–2021.
The study also finds that calm and hot weather conditions amplify these disparities, as low wind speeds reduce pollutant dispersion from swine facilities and because higher temperatures increase NH₃ emissions through the evaporation of NH3 at and even downwind of swine facilities. On calm days, NH₃ inequalities for Indigenous communities were more than twice as severe as on windy days, while hot days intensified NH3 exposures for Black and Hispanic populations.
Elevated NH₃ concentrations were also observed several kilometers downwind of swine feeding operations under calm and hot weather conditions, confirming that the environmental impacts of these operations reach far beyond their immediate surroundings. This challenges claims that only those living very near facilities experience adverse effects.
Analysis of NH₃ satellite data over a 15-year period, from 2008 to 2023, shows that disparities in NH3 concentrations have not lessened over time, underscoring the long-term nature of the issue.
The study highlights the role of industrial agriculture in perpetuating environmental racism, with communities of color bearing the brunt of air pollution linked to swine operations. These findings come amid ongoing debates about air quality regulations and the lack of federal standards for NH₃, which is not currently covered by the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
“The satellite ammonia measurements are independent, observational evidence of inequalities in the air pollution impacts of industrial swine operations across Eastern North Carolina,” said Pusede. “The satellite measurements are consistent with residents’ claims of unfair and unaddressed air quality issues and highlight the urgent need for regulatory action.”
END
University of Virginia study reveals air pollution inequities linked to industrial swine facilities are detectable from space
2025-01-28
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Cell death and aging in cancer research review
2025-01-28
Aging cells secrete substances known to promote the growth of cancer cells. The development of drugs that can selectively kill these cells or inhibit the secretion of substances is ongoing. The latest findings on the interaction between cell death and cellular senescence in cancer and their pathophysiological significance have been reviewed by a team from Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School.
Lecturer Kouhei Shimizu and Professor Fuminori Tokunaga of OMU and Dr. Hiroyuki Inuzuka of Harvard Medical School outlined ...
Flame retardants in battery enclosures may do more harm than good
2025-01-28
As dangerous lithium-ion battery fires are on the rise, regulators and manufacturers are scrambling for solutions. Unfortunately, one common strategy may cause serious health harm and not work to slow or stop the fires. A new Viewpoint in Environmental Science & Technology explains that adding flame retardants to the plastic cases surrounding these batteries has no proven fire-safety benefit. The scientists further warn that the types of flame retardants widely used in electronics enclosures are linked to cancer and other health harms and can end up in children’s toys, food containers, and other products made from recycled plastic.
“The use of flame ...
Kenya study highlights complexity of tree-planting schemes
2025-01-28
Research with smallholder farmers in Kenya shows that tree-planting schemes must account for complex local issues and preferences.
Tree planting is central to many countries’ climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation goals, and Kenya alone plans to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.
Adding trees and shrubs to farmland (called agroforestry) can boost biodiversity, carbon storage, soil health, food production and income. But many tree-planting schemes overlook diversity and promote a narrow range of species.
The new study – led by the University of Exeter – examined the factors that enable or prevent Kenyan smallholders from increasing the diversity of ...
Transforming longevity research: AI paves the way for personalised treatments in ageing science
2025-01-28
A collaborative study between researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), and the Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research, Rostock University Medical Center, Germany, investigated how advanced AI tools, like Large Language Models (LLMs), can make it easier to evaluate interventions for ageing and provide personalised recommendations. The findings were published in the leading review journal Ageing Research Reviews.
Research into ...
Humanoid robots join human musicians for synchronized musical performances
2025-01-28
In a fascinating blend of technology and artistry, researchers present a study in PeerJ Computer Science, showcasing how humanoid robots can collaborate seamlessly with human musicians during live musical performances. This innovative work highlights the evolving role of robotics in entertainment and creativity.
The study introduces a human-robot musical band featuring Polaris, a mid-sized humanoid robot as a drummer, and Oscar, a Robotis-OP3 humanoid robot as a keyboardist. These robots performed alongside human musicians, achieving natural synchronization and ...
Regularly seeing the same GP could free up NHS appointments, research shows
2025-01-28
New research indicates that regularly seeing the same GP could reduce workload in practices and hospitals, potentially freeing up appointments for patients.
The study was conducted by Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, the University of Exeter Medical School and St Leonard’s Practice in Exeter. The research focuses on continuity of care – whether there’s any benefit from patients seeing the same GP at most of their appointments. This continuity has been steadily decreasing in patient care since 2012, and increasingly patients see multiple GPs within a practice, or temporarily placed GPs, known as locums.
Now, the new research, published in the ...
Australian innovation ‘sifts’ space for mysteries
2025-01-28
The first trial of an Australian-developed technology has detected mysterious objects by sifting through signals from space like sand on a beach.
Astronomers and engineers at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, developed the specialised system, CRACO, for their ASKAP radio telescope to rapidly detect mysterious fast radio bursts and other space phenomena.
The new technology has now been put to the test by researchers led by the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy ...
Senior Bowl players learn CPR, join the Nation of Lifesavers movement
2025-01-28
MOBILE, Ala., Jan. 27, 2025 — The American Heart Association and the Reese’s Senior Bowl™ teamed up to ensure more people are confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency. On Senior Bowl Community Service Day, Jan. 27, the potential NFL Draft prospects who have completed their college eligibility and coaches learned Hands-Only CPR and how to use an automatic external defibrillators (AED) to respond in a cardiac emergency. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because ...
Young adults more active after starting work, but sleep less – unless working from home
2025-01-28
When young adults start working, the amount of daily physical activity they do increases sharply, only to fall away again over the new few years, while the amount of sleep they get falls slightly, according to new research led by scientists at the University of Cambridge.
The increase in physical activity was mainly seen in those doing semi-routine occupations such as bus driving or hairdressing, and routine occupations such as cleaning or waiting, or technical jobs. There was little change seen among people entering managerial or professional occupations.
The largest drop in levels of physical activity was seen ...
Archaeologists find ‘lost’ site depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry
2025-01-28
Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that a house in England is the site of a lost residence of Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, and shown in the Bayeux Tapestry.
By reinterpreting previous excavations and conducting new surveys, the team from Newcastle University, UK, together with colleagues from the University of Exeter, believe they have located a power centre belonging to Harold Godwinson, who was killed in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Bosham, on the coast of West Sussex, is depicted ...