Lack of associations between air emissions from sour-gas processing plants and beef cow-calf herd health and productivity in Alberta, Canada. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • This paper describes a large-scale investigation into the effects of licensed air emissions from sour-gas processing plants on the health and productivity of beef cow-calf herds in the province of Alberta, Canada. In conjunction with a geographical information system, two atmospheric-dispersion models were used to assess historical exposures at 5726 beef cow-calf farm-sites from 1987 to 1990. We did secondary analyses of health, productivity, and management data, from a government-extension survey previously administered to beef cow-calf producers across the province. Statistical models (adjusted for potential confounding and clustering within herd and over time) were used to determine associations with estimates of sour-gas emission exposure. All analyses were conducted at the herd-level. There were no significant (P>0.05) detrimental associations of exposure and the annual herd risk for culling, calf-crop delivered, calf-crop season profile, stillbirth and twinning, calfhood mortality, or calf-crop weaned.

published proceedings

  • Prev Vet Med

author list (cited authors)

  • Scott, H. M., Soskolne, C. L., Martin, S. W., Basarab, J. A., Coppock, R. W., Guidotti, T. L., & Lissemore, K. D.

citation count

  • 14

complete list of authors

  • Scott, HM||Soskolne, CL||Martin, SW||Basarab, JA||Coppock, RW||Guidotti, TL||Lissemore, KD

publication date

  • January 2003