I guess it shouldn't come as any real surprise that a state known for its agriculture industry and farming history is also number one in the U.S. for something else. I'll give you a hint. My dad used to tell me that it "smells like money." That's right. Iowa is number one, in number two.

A new study by the University of Iowa shows that the state produces more fecal matter per square mile than any other state. Iowa placed first on the list followed by Delaware, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Pennslyvania.

Chris Jones, a research engineer at the University of Iowa, posted his calculations in his blog last week. It found that Iowa humans and livestock produce as much fecal waste per square mile as a human population density of 2,979 people. That's comparable to the population density of Iowa City, but over the entire land mass of Iowa.

Jones also tried to calculate Iowa's 'real' population based on, well, poop. Taking both livestock and humans into consideration, Iowa's real population equals around 134 million people. That would make it the 10th most populous country in the world based on fecal matter. Jones says that the study and its results are important when considering things like water quality which can be affected by livestock runoff.

 

[via KCRG]

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