LOS ANGELES - Air pollution that is a direct result of agricultural production mostly related to livestock in the United States causes nearly 18,000 annual deaths in the country, according to a recent study.The study, published in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" in May, stated that of the 17,900 people who died as a result of the air pollution, 15,900 (80%) people die a year in the U.S.
due to the pollution created by animal production as well as indirectly through methods of producing animal feed.The mortality rate from farm-related air pollution can be cut down by 50% if farmers started practicing "improved livestock waste management and fertilizer application practices that reduce emissions of ammonia," the study.