Hormones and Pharmaceuticals Generated by Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

Abstract

Concentrated animal feeding operations as presently known began after the Second World War. Although mostly developed in the US, with the rise of globalization, the effects of concentration of animal husbandry in small areas can be seen worldwide. In recent years, the rise of aquaculture on a massive scale has presented many new problems that were largely unanticipated. 1.1 Definition of CAFOs Concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) is a regulatory concept for large animal feeding operations, which take advantage of cost effectiveness of large facilities. The same largeness of scale also has disadvantages as it increases point source pollution (Steinfeld et al. 2006) . The US government (EPA 2007) defines CAFOs as agricultural operations where animals are kept and raised in confined situations . CAFOs congregate animals, feed, feces and urine, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area. Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing or otherwise seeking feed in pastures, fields, or on rangeland (Table 1.1 ). Alternatively, livestock can be defined in animal units = 1,000 lb (450 kg) live animal wt. and CAFOs are those with more than 1,000 AU or those with 301–1,000 AU with a concentration greater than 2 AU for each acre available for spreading manure. The European Union terms these facilities as intensive livestock production systems and regulation is based on the manure generated and the land available for application (170 kg/ha/year) (Oenema 2004) . Although aquaculture (Chap. 12) is usually regulated by different protocols than the above CAFO regulations, for environmental purposes, pharmaceuticals used in L. Shore ( ) and A. Pruden Departments of Endocrinology and Toxicology , Kimron Veterinary Institute , POB 12 , Bet Dagan , 50250 , Israel e-mail: shorel@int.gov.il Chapter