Revealed: How thousands of deaths could be prevented by cutting farm emissions

By Andrew Wasley, Alexandra Heal

One of the most potent air pollutants is on the rise in the UK, but the government has no comprehensive monitoring, little enforcement, and almost no funding or clear plan to reduce the emissions, an investigation has found.

Evidence obtained by a joint investigation by the Guardian, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Channel 4 News suggests that at least 3,000 deaths each year could be avoided if agricultural ammonia emissions were halved.

The hidden danger of ammonia — the pungent, irritant gas that comes from livestock farms and combines with other chemicals in the air to form deadly particulates — has been largely ignored by the government, despite pledges from ministers to slash air pollution. Ammonia is the only major air pollutant rising in the UK, as other forms of pollution have dropped.

The findings of the investigation include:

• Government inaction and regulatory failings mean the most polluting farming sectors — dairy and beef cattle — are under no obligation to monitor, report or reduce ammonia emissions.
• Despite promising to close this loophole by 2025, Michael Gove, the environment secretary, has not laid out a clear plan or any…