Resumen

HERRERO, María A  y  GIL, Susana B. Environmental considerations of the animal production intensification. Ecol. austral [online]. 2008, vol.18, n.3, pp.273-289. ISSN 1667-782X.

In this study, global and local environmental problems caused by animal production systems are presented. The residues generated by these systems, mainly composed by excreta, have a major responsibility for the impacts on air, soil and water since they are generally concentrated in small areas and constitute main source of nutrients, heavy metals, antibiotics and drugs for veterinary use and pathogens. As a consequence of intensification, the accumulation of more than 220 kg/ha of nitrates, 2500 ppm of phosphorus and 261 kg/ha Zn in soil has been detected. In groundwater, excess of nitrates (180 ppm) and microbiological contamination are frequent, and it has been recently encountered phosphorus up to 7 ppm and copper up to 90 ppb. In shallow water, sediments augmentation up to 28.5 times caused by pen's runoff and antibiotic resistance appearance, (5 to 95% of Escherichia coli strains) are emergent problems. About greenhouse gasses emission, 371 kg/ha of methane has been reported. At local scale some information gaps are pointed out, referring to the lack of precise information about number of intensive farms, impact of continuous applications of manure to the soil and quantification of economic impact of the actual pollution effects an their management measures for mitigation. Development of suitable technologies including contamination models at farm, basin and geographical level; precise nutrition; development of specific indicators to monitor intensive systems and their related ecosystems; transmission of novel techniques and equipment for the implementation of manure and effluent reuse, are some of the more urgent management measures that should be completed with the combined effort of different actors.

Palabras clave : Manure; Nutrients; Heavy metals; Veterinary drugs; Soil contamination; Water contamination; Greenhouse gases; Nutrient balance; Effluent management; Regulations.

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