Scientists Find DNA Proof of Swine Feces in North Carolina Homes

In Duplin County, North Carolina, there is a pollutant that hangs in the air, the water and the soil. It tumbles in the breeze and into homes through open windows, settling as a thin film of dust on their kitchen tables. It gloops together in masses of sludge in the surface water that feeds their creeks and streams. The fresh, nostalgic smell of seawater along the county coast has dissipated, replaced by a permanent foul smell from nearby swine factory farms, similar to that of a decomposing body, residents say. Policymakers have long ignored their complaints but new research from Johns Hopkins University could finally show scientific evidence of pollution that officials can’t ignore.

It wasn’t always this way, says Devon Hall, who grew up in Duplin County. Over the past few decades, Hall tells Sentient that he has witnessed the rapid expansion of swine factory farms in the region. Now, hogs generate 10 billion gallons of waste across the state annually, so much so that their pollution can be seen from space. Neighbors not only deal with the pungent smell that emanates from these farms, but are also more at risk of adverse health effects from pollution. Constant exposure to pig waste can lead to lung problems, brain damage and an increased risk of bacterial infections.

Hall, who co-founded Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help (REACH), says interactions with policymakers and industry are fraught. “Has anyone died?” was one county commissioner’s response to residents presenting their concerns, Hall recalls. “That was a bit cold because that’s what you’re asking for? You want body bags until you believe us? Take some stock in the science,” he says.