Effect of Manue Pit Additve on the Reduction of Ammonia Emission from Large Swine Finishing Buildings

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The effect of Alliance, a manure pit additive was tested in 4 commercial grow-finish barns for a period of 6 months. This ammednment produced an average 24.2% reduction in ammonia levels relative to the control. The treatments saw a range of 12.5 – 27.3% reduction in amonia concentration over both trials.. With the use of this pit amendment it was also noted the importance of keeping the floor as dry and clean as possible. Ammonia reduction rates were found to be greater in the second trial by approximately 10%, this difference may be realted to the season variation of gas emissions from swine buildings. There was evidence of dilution with the addition of the pit amendment. However, the addition of the pit additive did not affect th pH of the manure. As a result the lower concentration of ammonia in the traeted buildings may have contributed to the lower ammonia emissions.

Testing a Field-Scale Manure Composting System

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A in-vessel composter with forced aeration and mechanical turning was set up and evaluated at Ridgetown College, University of Guelph. During the first week, manure is added to a substrate (corn cobs, barley straw, wood chips, tree leaves, or any combination of the preceding) until a desirable mositure ocndition of 55% – 70% is achieved. The ratio, by weight of liquid manure to substrate was 2.4:1 to 6.9:1 for straw, and was lower fir wood fibre and corn cobs. Odour dterminationwas made on a subjective basis, using staff that worked in the building. The composting system and the method in which liquid manure was added to the system contributed to an environment where there was seldom any evidence of liquid manure odours.

Production and Emission of Odours and Gases from Ageing Pig Waste

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A National Cirriculum fo Addressing Livestock Environmental Issues

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Increasing contrvesy surrounding existing and proposed livestock operations is increasing in nature. A 1998 USDA survey of 35 states found 31 of these states are experiencing contraversy and 30 states have reported increased conflict and media attention. The National Cirriculum, funded by the USDA and EPA is designed to support producer certification and education programs designed to encourage sustainable livestock systems. A core cirriculum addressing environmental awareness, design and management options and regulatory compliance is related to four topics: 1) manure storage systems 2) land and nutrient management 3) air quality 4) alternative strategies and treatment technologies. The cirriculum will be reviewed with the pilot being tested regionally, and livestock industry information providers will access the core cirriculum through five regionally sponsored inservice programs. The three year project started in April 1999, with the focus on year 1 being the development of the cirriculum. The focus of year 2 will be the assesing and evaluating the pilot programs at 5 regional sites. The final year focuses on the training of potential information providers through regional training programs, with program completion coming in fall 2001.

Odour Prediction for Hog Operations Using Computer Dispersion Modelling

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Diurnal and Annual Variation of Odour Emission from Animal Houses: a Model Calculation for Fattening Pigs

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Odour emission from livestock buildings adjacent to residential areas may constitute an environmental
nuisance and dispersion models are of interest in the regulation of air pollutants. To apply dispersion models to odour emissions, the odour concentration and the volume #ow of the outlet air must be known. In this paper, the odour concentration of the outlet air is determined by combining a steady-state balance model to calculate the outlet air temperature and the volume #ow with a simple model for the odour release inside the livestock building. The results show a distinct diurnal and annual variation of the odour concentration due to the variability of the volume #ow. The mean odour concentration during daytime in the summer months lies in a very narrow range close to the overall minimum. Odour concentration derived from odour emission and the maximum volume #ow of the animal house is useful for model calculations. During a clear-sky summer period, the model predicts a nighttime odour concentration of about 4)6 times the daytime concentration due to the
reduced volume #ow at night. To improve the calculation of odour concentrations by dispersion models, the annual and diurnal variation of the odour release has to be taken into account. The model suggests that long-term measurements of the odour emissions of animal houses are necessary for regulatory and legal purposes.

Indicators of resource use and environmental impact for use in a decision aid for Danish livestock farmers

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Chemical Additions to Swine Manure to Reduce Hydrogen Sulfide Losses – A Laboratory Study

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Odours generated from intensive swine operations are growing in public concern. Some regulatory agencies are defining set back distances from intensive operations, and in some cases outlawing outside storage containers. As a result certain states are re-implementing manure storage beneath slatted floors in oder to reduce odour emission.. Increased in barn storage can create a harmful potential, especially during agitation and removeal of manure from pits.

Seven chemicals were found to be effective in reducing H2S levels: Calcium hydroxide, Ferric chloride, Ferrous chloride, Ferrous sulfate, hydorgen peroxide, Potassium permangante and Sodium chloride.. These additves effectiveness were compared using 60:L of swine manure collected in three batches, and at the time of collection the manure pH was adjusted to 8.5 to prevent any H2S loss. The air sample was ranked for H2S concentration using a Jerome metre. The doage needed to reduce emissions by 50% was calculated for each chemical using the total solids of 1.6%. Based on cost at the time of the study, hydrogen peroxide was potassium permanganate appear to be the most cost effective.

Realizing Composting Opportunities in the Western Canadian Hog Industry

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The benefits of composting have been well documented. Reduced volumes up to 60%, lower handling costs, reduction in odour, destruction of weed seeds, destruction of pathogens and a greater degree of public acceptance potentally make it a viable alternative. However, many large previously established operations are based on liquid manure handling systems, therefore would require retrofitting of their current operation. Before considering composting considerations for composting hog manure should be taken into account alog with the specific compost standard that one is trying to achieve.

Spring Applied Organic Manures as a Sources of Nitrogen for Cereal Crops: Experiments Using Field Scale Equipment

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The effects of spring top-dressed applications of broiler litter, pig slurry and cattle slurry on winter wheat and winter barley yield and quality were investigated on a field scale at three UK sites between 1992 and 1994, using commercially available application equipment. Broiler litter was applied at rates ranging from 5.3 to 8.8 t/ha, and slurries from 54 to 89 m3/ha. Few practical problems were encountered when spreading broiler litter, but when spreading cattle slurry there was some crop damage and soil compaction from the tanker wheelings adjacent to tramlines. Coefficients of variation for manure spreading using commercial spreaders ranged from 20 to 32%. Spring applied manures increased yields of winter wheat and winter barley, and lowered optimum inorganic fertilizer nitrogen (N) rates. When the N efficiency of the manures was compared to that of inorganic fertilizer N, broiler litter N efficiencies ranged from 10 to 49%, cattle slurry was c. 30% and pig slurry c. 50%. The experiments demonstrated that poultry litters and slurries can be applied successfully to growing cereal crops in spring as part of an integrated policy for N supply.