Michele M. Monti
Matthew R. Ettinger
Karen C. Rice
2005
<p><span>Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) result from the consolidation of small farms with animals into larger operations, leading to a higher density of animals per unit of </span>land on CAFOs than on small farms. The density of animals and subsequent concentration of animal wastes potentially can cause contamination of nearby ground and surface waters. <span>This report summarizes water-quality data collected from agricultural sites in the Shenandoah Valley and Eastern Shore of Virginia. Five sites, three non-CAFO and two dairy-operation CAFO sites, were sampled in the Shenandoah Valley. Four sites, one non-CAFO and three poultry-operation CAFO sites were sampled on the Eastern Shore. All samples were collected during January and February 2004. </span><span>Water samples were analyzed for the following parameters and constituents: temperature, specific conductance, pH, and dissolved oxygen; concentrations of the indicator </span>organisms <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) and enterococci; bacterial isolates of <i>E. coli</i>, enterococci, <i>Salmonella</i> spp., and <i>Campylobacter</i> spp.; sensitivity to antibiotics of <i>E. coli</i>, enterococci, and <i>Salmonella</i> spp.; arsenic, cadmium, chromium<sup>3+</sup>, copper, nickel, and mercury; hardness, biological oxygen demand, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ortho-phosphate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, and dissolved organic carbon; and 45 dissolved organic compounds, which included a suite of antibiotic compounds.</p><p><span>Data are presented in tables 5-21 and results of analyses of replicate samples are presented in tables 22-28. A summary of the data in tables 5-8 and 18-21 is included in the report.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.3133/ofr20051388
en
U.S. Geological Survey
Water-quality data from ground- and surface-water sites near concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and non-CAFOs in the Shenandoah Valley and eastern shore of Virginia, January-February, 2004
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