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Tox Town - Environmental health concerns and toxic chemicals where you live, work, and play
Farm Environmental Healthen español

What is farm environmental health?

Environmental health concerns on farms include exposure to toxic gases, pesticides, hazardous agricultural chemicals, high levels of dust, infected animals, parasites, and molds. 

Exposure to dangerous gases from fermenting crops in silos can cause fluid to build up in the lungs, and even cause death. Repeated exposure to molds on hay or other stored crops can cause “farmer’s lung,” an allergic inflammation of the lungs that can become life-threatening. Exposure to high levels of organic dust can cause Organic Dust Toxicity Syndrome, which causes cough, fever, chills, and muscle pain. 

Farm animals can be a source of parasites and diseases that can be passed on to people. Pits of animal manure can generate deadly gases, causing oxygen depletion, asphyxiation, and death. 

Other agricultural health threats include work-related lung diseases, cancers, nasal inflammation, arthritis, asthma, dermatitis, and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis.

This description is based on the information found in the Web links listed with this topic.


Web Links from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
Farm Health and Safety
Rural Health Concerns

More Links
Agricultural Operations (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Agricultural Waste (Environmental Protection Agency)
Agriculture (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
Agriculture home page (Environmental Protection Agency)
Children's Agricultural Tasks (National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety)
Droughts and Health (National Library of Medicine)
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse. Haz-Map (National Library of Medicine)
Farmworkers, Farm and Ranch Animals. Haz-Map (National Library of Medicine)
National Ag Safety Database home page (National Ag Safety Database)
Preventing Health Risks from the Use of Pesticides in Agriculture (World Health Organization) (PDF — 569 KB)
Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Farm Workers (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)


Last Updated: October 17, 2012

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