About this Research Topic
The intensive animal agricultural industry is one of the most significant contributors to contemporary environmental problems such as water pollution, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions. The extensive use of chemicals, including fertilizers, pesticides, and antibiotics, exacerbates these environmental problems. For context, we are now producing more than three times the amount of meat than 50 years ago – a number the US Food and Agriculture Organization predicts will increase a further 70% by 2050. With the prediction of exponential growth in demand, there is a pressing need to develop sustainable farming approaches in combination with low-cost and sustainable technologies to deal with its associated waste. Chemical treatments and methodologies will be key to addressing the environmental challenges associated with animal agriculture in the coming decades.
This Research Topic aims to bring together contributions that highlight how environmental chemistry can help mitigate and remediate the damages caused by intensive animal agriculture and facilitate the transition to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly animal agriculture industry. Recent developments have shown the efficacy of biogas production from manure as a pathway toward greenhouse gas minimization and a circular economy. Moreover, aside from its rates of freshwater consumption, the industry also contributes to the pollution of freshwater resources. The application of pharmaceuticals and pesticides to enhance crop-yield places additional stressors on the environment as the improper application or direct use of these pollutants ultimately contaminates the soil and nearby water bodies - the effects of which can be disastrous for human, animal, and plant life.
This Research Topic aims to act as an international platform, allowing researchers to share and discuss their findings pertaining to the effective methods for the remediation of environmental damage from the animal-agricultural industry. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:
· Studies dealing with the quantification and distribution of gas emissions generated at livestock farms.
· Anaerobic digestors for biogas production from manure and vegetal waste for direct on-farm energy use
· Livestock waste and wastewater treatment, with particular emphasis on the efficient removal of pharmaceuticals (such as antibiotics and growth hormones), the recovery of nutrients, and the production of manure-based fertilizers.
· Studies dealing with the presence of pharmaceuticals in soil, lakes, rivers, and groundwater nearby livestock farms: detection, distribution, and quantification.
Note: Dr. Omid Norouzi holds the position of Senior R&D & IP Manager at Anaergia. Presently, he is actively engaged in a project called CUWP Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy
This Research Topic aims to bring together contributions that highlight how environmental chemistry can help mitigate and remediate the damages caused by intensive animal agriculture and facilitate the transition to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly animal agriculture industry. Recent developments have shown the efficacy of biogas production from manure as a pathway toward greenhouse gas minimization and a circular economy. Moreover, aside from its rates of freshwater consumption, the industry also contributes to the pollution of freshwater resources. The application of pharmaceuticals and pesticides to enhance crop-yield places additional stressors on the environment as the improper application or direct use of these pollutants ultimately contaminates the soil and nearby water bodies - the effects of which can be disastrous for human, animal, and plant life.
This Research Topic aims to act as an international platform, allowing researchers to share and discuss their findings pertaining to the effective methods for the remediation of environmental damage from the animal-agricultural industry. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:
· Studies dealing with the quantification and distribution of gas emissions generated at livestock farms.
· Anaerobic digestors for biogas production from manure and vegetal waste for direct on-farm energy use
· Livestock waste and wastewater treatment, with particular emphasis on the efficient removal of pharmaceuticals (such as antibiotics and growth hormones), the recovery of nutrients, and the production of manure-based fertilizers.
· Studies dealing with the presence of pharmaceuticals in soil, lakes, rivers, and groundwater nearby livestock farms: detection, distribution, and quantification.
Note: Dr. Omid Norouzi holds the position of Senior R&D & IP Manager at Anaergia. Presently, he is actively engaged in a project called CUWP Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy
Keywords: agriculture, gas emissions, C02, Livestock Waste, Wastewater Treatment
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
