APPENDIX II 



Wastes From Agriculture and Forestry 



Of the total wastes produced in the United 

 States, agriculture and forestry contribute a share, 

 but not an inordinate share. In fact, agriculture 

 provides a prime means for amelioration or dis- 

 posal of many wastes that might otherwise pollute 

 the environment. 



A grouping of substances that impair the quality 

 of the environment was set forth in appendix I. 

 Where applicable, this list will be followed in ap- 

 pendix II. The discussion will cover — 



1. Chemical air pollutants 



2. Dusts 



3. Sediment 



4. Plant nutrients 



5. Inorganic salts and minerals 



6. Organic wastes 



7. Infectious agents and allergens 



8. Agricultural chemicals 



Chemical Air Pollutants 



The burning of plant residues in fields produces 

 a small amount of photochemical air pollutant. 

 Trash and residues in forests that burn produce 

 a significant amount of hydrocarbons that may be- 

 come photochemical air pollutants to the leeward 

 of a forest fire. 



These possible sources of photochemical air pol- 

 lutants from agricultural and forestry activities 

 are mentioned in the discussion of organic wastes. 



Dusts 



Thirty million tons of natural dusts are emitted 

 into the atmosphere of the United States during 

 the average year. This is equivalent to the topsoil 

 from 30,000 acres of land. Agriculture makes no 

 claim to being the source of all of this dust, but 

 windblown soil is by no means a minor contributor. 



Agricultural dusts arise from processing opera- 

 tions such as cotton gins and alfalfa mills, as well 

 as from the soil of unprotected fields. 



Cotton Ginning 



Dust and lint particles emitted from cotton gins 

 create a distinct nuisance to everyone in the 



34 



vicinity of a cotton gin during operation. The 

 smaller particles are reported to be the most 

 injurious to health and the most widely dispersed 

 b}^ wind currents. The bulk of the dusts settles 

 within 300 feet of the gin, but smaller particles are 

 carried a half mile or more. 



Medical authorities report a noticeable increase 

 in human respiratory ailments in the vicinity of 

 cotton gins when they are operating. 



Throughout the 14 major cotton-producing 

 States there are about 5,000 gins, which process an 

 average of 3,000 bales each season. The foreign 

 matter to be discarded ranges from 50 pounds per 

 bale for handpicked cotton (of which there is now 

 very little) to more than 2,000 pounds per bale for 

 machine-stripped or machine-scrapped cotton. 

 Gins must dispose of up to 3,000 pounds of waste 

 per hour. The dust includes soil particles, pollen, 

 fungi, fibers, pesticide residues, and various types 

 and sizes of vegetative matter. 



Over 50 percent of this trash is burned at the 

 gin. With cotton production at 15 million bales and 

 a thousand pounds of trash per bale, some 3,750,000 

 tons of residues are burned, giving rise to 375,000 

 tons of particulates in smoke. 



Years ago the gins were established in open 

 country. In many instances, residences and busi- 

 nesses have now moved into the immediate vicinity 

 of the gin. Often, the city limits have extended to 

 include gin property. Lawsuits have been insti- 

 tuted as a result of the various nuisances and some 

 gins have had to be moved. 



As mechanical cotton harvesting brings more 

 trash from the field to the gin, the production of 

 dust at the gin will increase. 



Alfalfa Dehydrators 



Alfalfa processing plants discharge dust and 

 small vegetative particles into the atmosphere. 

 Since the plants are located near the source of raw 

 materials and remote from centers of population, 

 they are more serious contributors to pollution in 

 rural areas than in suburban areas. 



