Observing Ammonia Air Pollution Inequalities from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) from Space (Invited Presentation)

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) emit numerous air pollutants, including ammonia (NH₃), affecting the health and well-being of nearby residents. Pollution from CAFOs disproportionately harms Black, Latinx, and low-income communities in many U.S. agricultural regions. There are few surface measurements of CAFO-related air pollutants and incomplete information on the emissions and even the locations of many CAFOs, with operators often facing little to no regulatory control in most states. This talk explores the use of NH₃ column densities collected by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) instrument on multiple MetOp satellites to describe and support community concerns around CAFO-related air pollution inequalities. We present results from eastern North Carolina, Weld County Colorado, and the San Joaquin Valley of California. We report the temperature and wind speed dependence of NH₃ inequalities, relationships between NH₃ VCDs and CAFO type and location and surface NH₃ observations (where they exist), and trends over 2008–present, highlighting policy-relevant conclusions.