Electronic nose evaluation of synthetic hog farm odor.

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1997 | No Comments

Testing of an electronic nose using conducting polymer sensors was done to measure the detection threshold of acetic acid in water, acetic acid in oil and also of synthetic pig slurry composed of ten organic compounds. A human odor panel also analyzed the same odor samples. The nose performed well in the evaluation of acid acetic in oil but important differences were obtained between the results of the nose and the one of the human panelists for the water-based solutions due to the humidity from those solutions. Different approaches and mathematical analysis were used and evaluated for their ability to simulate the discrimination of the human panel. For the experiment conditions, Fisher’s Linear Discriminant Analysis gave the best performance. However any changes in the experimental set up that would have an impact on variability would necessitate re-evaluation of the approaches and analysis.

The electronic nose is a tool that is not yet ready for odor analysis of slurry. However, such a tool will be very valuable when its ability to reproduce human olfactory reaction will be improved as costly olfactometry analysis could be replaced by in situs analysis with a nose.

Soil Fertility Benefits from Swine Manure Addition

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Liquid manure has to be considered as a valuable nutrient source for the plants even if it is more diluted than mineral fertilizer and consequently for manure, the transport and application costs are higher. The attention given to manure application should be the same than for commercial fertilizers regarding application rate, timing, application technique and expected crop response. Current research is being done in fields and laboratory in Saskatchewan to improve the benefits that swine manure can give to soil fertility and agriculture.

Fertilization is mainly presented as satisfying the N requirements of the plants and little consideration is given to other elements such as P that could build up as the manure fertilization to meet N requirements exceed the P plant’s requirements. Past experience in countries and provinces were manure has been applied to meet N requirements repeatedly during many years has shown problems.

Long term measurements of greenhouse gas emissions from UK livestock buildings

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Concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide were continuously measured over several weeks at a range of positions within (and outside) each of a fattening piggery, a broiler house and a dairy cow house, using an automated gas chromatograph. For the piggery and the broiler house, both of which were force-ventilated, the ventilation rate was measured using fan-wheel anemometers. For the cow house, which was naturally-ventilated via space boarding and a roof ridge vent, the ventilation rate was measured using a novel carbon monoxide tracer gas technique. Emission rates were determined from the products of ventilation rates and the concentration differences across the buildings. The rates of carbon dioxide emission measured were compared with those predicted from literature on metabolic rates of production. Agreement was within 15% for the force-ventilated buildings and 20% for the naturally-ventilated building, giving additional validation of the 2 methods of measuring ventilation rate. For the broiler house, no significant emissions of either methane or nitrous oxide were found: it is probable that the very dry litter in this house had inhibited the microbial processes necessary to produce both gases. The cow house gave, per 500 kg liveweight housed, greater emissions of both methane and nitrous oxide than did the piggery (4 times as much for methane; twice as much for nitrous oxide). All methane from the dairy cow house was from the cows themselves: none was from the slurry. It is concluded that the best option for reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions from housed livestock is the manipulation of bovine diets.

Critical Parameters for Emissions

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Emissions from livestock buildings are well covered with sections covering ammonia, greenhouse gases, hydrogen sulfide, odors, particulates, aerosols and bacteria and also pollution prevention. An important quantity of references are presented in the text
A more complete summary is presented in the gas emissions section.

Ammonia and Contaminant Concentrations with Conventional versus Pit Ventilation in Finishing Pig Units

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The ammonia emissions measured are twice the ones fund in the literature and the authors explain those results from the fact that the floor were fully slatted and the slats type favorable to emission, the feed was of high protein level, the low animal density and the manure pH value was high. Generally the pit ventilation lowered the ammonia concentration in the building slightly but increased the emission to the environment compared to conventional ventilation.

Development of a Chamber System to Measure Emissions of Nitrous Oxide after Slurry Application on Grassland

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This chamber systems could probably be used to also measure other emissions than nitrous oxide. The plastic covering the sampling zone can however produce different emission conditions than the adjacent surface or the rest of the field.

Cultivating Island Solutions- Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship

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Many changes are happening in the Island with the rapid expansion of the potato industry, the increase in soil erosion, the land clearing, the forest clearcuttings and the increase in the pesticides use. As a result, conflicts between farmers and their non-farming neighbors have increased considerable as the public concern has also. The Government wants more development in the Island to generate more wealth but there are concerns about the way this development is been done, about the poor management of it and also about the controls may feel inadequate. People don’t want the experts and interested people to be the only ones involved with the decisions about that development.
To address those issues, the Government decided to develop a Resource Land Use Strategy that would identify ways of achieving this objectives:
1) “increase the contribution of resource lands and their use to wealth creation in the province;
2) maintain and improve the capacity of the lands to generate wealth for future generations;
3) minimize the conflicts between the use of resource lands and other land uses, and minimize the impacts on human health and the environment; and
4) increase public satisfaction with resource land use.”
The Round Table (RT) has been working from April 1996 until August 1997, meeting community, industry and environmental groups to discuss topics about the Island development.
The RT conclude on three basic principles:
– a working rural landscape (sustainable approach in land uses and development (farm practices, understanding of the primary resource economy of the rural areas and their practices by all residents),
– a healthy environment (high quality drinking and surface water, good soil quality and erosion control, replenishing harvested forests, pesticide control and habitat protection), and
– a successful alliance of communities and individual well-being (problem solving and planning, authority and information within the communities to direct economic development, sustainable approaches are put in practice and taught in schools, good balance of social life and economic life within the communities when young people have opportunities and seasonal residents contribute) .
For guidelines for environmental issues, they refer to the Environmental Farm Plan (Atlantic Farmers Council) and the Guidelines for Manure Management and Separation Distances in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I. Department of Agriculture). The RT makes many recommendations regarding the development of the Island in those recommendations The RT recommend that the Farm Practices Review Board complete the development of codes of practice for the significant agricultural operations by 2000 and that would have to be implemented by 2002. RT also recommend that official zoning plans increases to 25% by 2000 up to 50% by 2003 and that the emission of building permits for areas not having official zoning plans be limited.

This report is very interesting because many solutions come within the Island and are directed toward sustainable approaches in farm practices and land uses. The communities are the center of the success of the desired changes as they should control their development assuring social and economical wealth.

Preventing Seepage Beneath Waste Storage Basins

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General comments are made on in-earth waste storage basins, the parameters that have to be considered and the steps that have to be made in order to prevent seepage beneath the basins are also discussed. Specific guidelines, recommendations, and regulations have to be verified at local or state levels. To prevent the seepage and contamination of groundwater with nitrogen (nitrates) and coliforms (pathogen) in-earth basin has to be lined. An analysis of the situation is essential in order to evaluate the high water table, the proximity of water sources and soils characteristics that could result in heterogeneity or improper clay characteristics . The construction has to be made with a high quality cohesive material to make sure that the soil is molded into a uniform watertight layer. To ensure a maximum bulk density of the material, the construction has to be done at a correct moisture content. The liner has also to be protected in order to maintain its integrity.

Earthen basins can be safe and seepage proof if the proper methods and material are used for the construction. It is not just a question of making a whole on the soil, important parameters have to be evaluated and controlled, such as hydraulic conductivity of the soil that have to be low and also compaction of the material.

A Guide to Swine Manure Management Methods

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Manure is a valuable resource when properly managed. Different methods can be used according to individual farm situation for odour control, energy recovery, volume reduction, nutrient content reduction, acceleration of manure decomposition. Some of the methods available are presented with basic explanation on the processes involved for aerobic and anaerobic systems, artificial wetlands, solids separation by physical, chemical or mechanical means and composting.

Control by Dietary Manipulation of Emissions from Pig Slurry Following Landspeading

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The results of this study are very interesting. However no statistical analysis is presented to show if the differences measured are really significant for the manure that has been used and also for the experiment itself. The results show that reduce protein diets have an impact in the emissions all the way through fertilization.