March 5, 2004

Sulphur May Affect Cattle Health And Feed Efficiency

Researchers from the University of Alberta have discovered that exposure to sulphur dioxide will reduce cattle health and feed efficiency.

The chemical is a common byproduct released into the atmosphere during the production or burning of fossil fuels.

There is concern about the impact the gas has on animals and people, especially in oil rich Alberta.

Researcher Bob Christopherson says the animals tested showed the effects of being exposed to sulphur dioxide levels as low as one part per million.

''I think the most surprising thing to us was that there was suppression of some of the functions of the immune cells collected from cattle that had been exposed to SO2,'' he said.

When combined with cold temperatures, exposure to sulphur dioxide also increases the animals' metabolic rates and could result in animals needing more to eat, he said.

''There was a difference in the energy expenditures of the animals and this is based on short-term measurements over a few hours of the animals' metabolic rate. We found that the animals exposed to sulphur dioxide had higher metabolic rates. This would translate into potentially increased feed requirements,'' he said.

A larger study is needed to gain a conclusive perspective on the impact on animal health, Christopherson said.

The Canadian oil and gas industry emits sulphur dioxide from a variety of sources including sour gas production, flaring at oil facilities, well-testing flares, gas plants, sour gas production, and oil sands facilities.