Comparative assessment of ambient air quality in large and small ruminant farms: Insights from Lahore and Pattoki

Authors

  • Fariha Arooj University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5194-9668
  • Kainat Mushtaq 1Department Of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Aysha Iftikhar 1Department Of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5885-4714
  • Muhammad Luqman 1Department Of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Syed Aziz ur Rehman 1Department Of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Rahat Naseer 2Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Sidra Safdar 3Department of Wildlife and Ecology, Faculty of Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14635192

Keywords:

Livestock; Ruminants; Enteric fermentation; Ambient air quality

Abstract

Livestock farming systems deteriorate the air quality as 7.1 Giga tons of CO2-equivalents are emitted by livestock globally per year, which amounts to 14.5 % of all human-caused GHGs emanations. This study was designed to investigate the ambient air quality of livestock farms (10 large ruminants, 7 small ruminants) at Pattoki and Peri-urban areas of Lahore. Particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured at each livestock farm thrice during six months of the study. The measurements were taken using HazScanner (HIM-6000) and Series 500 Portable Air Quality Monitor (AeroQual). Results revealed that, on average, PM2.5 concentrations exceeded the standard values by 6 times at large ruminant farms and 5.5 times at small ruminant farms. In contrast, PM10 concentrations exceeded the standard values by 4 times at large ruminant farms and 3 times at small ruminant farms. Similarly, high concentrations of SO2 were observed at both types of farms where mean concentrations far exceeded the standard values. Moreover, higher CH4 concentrations were also recorded at both types of farms. Hence, particulate matter, methane, and sulfur dioxide were identified to be air pollutants of concern at livestock farms in comparison to other air pollutants (CO2, O3, CO, NO2, H2S) assessed in this study. A significant difference in air pollutant concentrations between the large and small ruminant farms was only found for H2S. The poor air quality at the livestock farms also affects the animal health as indicated by the increased prevalence of diseases during the study period. Further research should encompass larger geographic regions to generate comprehensive data and establish causative relationships between pollutants and livestock health. Moreover, considering the escalating impacts of climate change, it is important to integrate its influence on air quality and its subsequent effects on animal welfare into future studies.

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Published

2025-01-13

How to Cite

Arooj, F., Mushtaq, K., Iftikhar, A., Luqman, M. ., Rehman, S. A. ur, Naseer, R., & Safdar, S. (2025). Comparative assessment of ambient air quality in large and small ruminant farms: Insights from Lahore and Pattoki. Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, 9(1), 314–331. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14635192

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity

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Original Article

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