Examining the performance of additives in reducing the odor and ammonia emissions from slurry with a standard test procedure.

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

The protocol presented is dedicated to evaluation of additives in laboratory using a heated water-bath where the manure samples put in glass containers are placed. Air samples are extracted from those container for olfactometry evaluation and analysis for ammonia. The costs of common slurry additives is presented as ranging from 10 to 60 DM (6 to 35 US$) per livestock unit (500 kg live weight) per year. Ammonia reduction of 46%, 53% and 64% was obtained with rapeseed oil mix to the manure to form a top layer for addition of 20, 40 and 60 l of oil /m3 of manure.

No links are made between the results of those tests done under controlled conditions and what can happen in real scale situation.

General considerations for odor impact study

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The human nose is very sensitive and reacts rapidly to odor and also to variation in odor concentration. Odor impact studies has to consider this phenomena and the mathematical models used to evaluate odor dispersion has to be able to evaluate concentration fluctuations that occur close to the odor source because of turbulence and eddies. The eddies produce in plume fluctuations and also induce meandering. The classical Gaussian dispersion model (often used in air quality impact studies) cannot represent these phenomena by itself and has to be combine with another model to represent the meandering. The combination of the Gaussian and the Gifford model is discussed in this article.
Odor impact evaluation of a specific source is not only the results coming from a proper model. Results analysis has to be well done considering many aspects of the odor dispersion such as odor concentration and frequency of exposure and also the meteorological conditions producing such concentrations. The use of percentiles representing the percentage of time when the odor thresholds are exceeded can be a good way to represent the odor nuisance situation.

The article present well the odor impact studies however, The studies are more presented on a theoretical way with no link and validation with a real odor dispersion situation.

Residents plan campaign against mega hog farms

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A letter-writiing campaign is planned by a citizens coalition in the Ashfield Township against intensive farming operations, in reaction to a permit issued to a 3 400 hogs farm. Those letters will be sent to Noble Villeneuve, ag. and rural affairs minister and also to other ministries including health, environment and economic development.
A moratorium is also demanded by PROTECT on 2 500 hogs and more farms. PROTECT are concern with the impact of those farms particularly considering the environmental outcomes in North Carolina, Iowa and elsewhere. The three fish killer spills this year in the township also aggravated the concerns.
Bill Andrews emeritus prof. at the env. studies at Toronto Univ. invited to a PROTECT meeting also rised concerns pointing out the situation in North Carolina and questionning the lagoons as proper way to store the manure. He goes futher asking why factory farms shouldn’t have waste management plans as urban developpers have to produce before building. He sees another way to control the problem in limitating the number of animals and septic systems a given watershed can sustain. He also advise the residents to ask the government to clarify some elements of the Bill 146 particularly concerning the defintion of the “normal farm practice” and also whether the farmers will be exempted from the Environmental Protection Act.
Members of the group mentioned the deteriorating quality of the water and the fact that money is spent on beachfront for swimming purpose. Where will the people swim if the beaches are closed.
Joe Gleason (an america) mentioned that he sold his property in Michigan to settle along the lake and he is worried about the situation. He also is at the head of the Huron’s edge a news letter dealing with pollution problems.

Some of the proposed actions are quite drastic and don’t offer much viable solutions for the existing facilities (septic systems and farms) that cause problems now, it is not sufficient to ban expansion. It would be more productive to see how the situation could be controlled including the expansion project. The watershed approche proposed is probably the best element of this article.

A Survey on Concrete Floors in Pig Houses and their Degradation

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On farms with fattening pigs , degradation of slatted and solid concrete floors can result in animal injuries and early failure of slat beams . A survey in East and West Flanders was conducted to gauge the extent of this problem , the causes and consequences . Entrusting mixing and placing of the concrete to specialized firms , appeared to increase the life of the floor . However , even concrete slats cast by specialized manufacturers , showed degradation within five years of use on 40% of the farms . No relation could be found between the use of high-pressure cleaning and the speed of attack . The use of cleaners seemed to delay the attack rather than cause degradation . The
feeding method had a major influence on attack . The smaller the distance between water and feed supply , the faster the degradation proceeded . Therefore the use of liquid feed made the problems significantly worse . Almost half of the farmers had already taken measures to protect or repair the floor . The life of coatings appeared to be rather limited . Surface layers with ordinary portland cement and a

Evolution of microbiological and chemical parameters during manure and straw co-composting in a drum composting system

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Climatic Conditions and Aerial Pollutants in and Emissions from Commercial Animal Production Systems in the Netherlands

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The results presented are from an important survey on many livestock buildings. A more complete statistical study could have given more information on the accuracy of the results.

Slurry Cooling to Reduce Ammonia Emission from Pig Houses

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1 Dfl = $0.7177 CAN (01/17/98)
For the sows, the extra annual costs for such a cooling system would be per place equal to $85.40 CAN; for growing-finishing: $16.50 CAN/ place; for weaned piglets: $6.96 CAN/place and, for dry sows: $32.30 CAN/place. The investment costs for a cooling slurry system would vary depending on the farm size and the availability of the water and the local regulation on ground water use. Lowering the temperature in the superior layers of the stored manure results in lower ammonia emissions. The reduction obtained brings the ammonia emissions under the Dutch Green Label Standard. Because of the important cost of such a system, the use of it has promises only where incentive and regulation are enforced.

Field Tests of Bio-additives to Reduce Ammonia Emission from Pig Houses

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Looking at the results and the statistical analysis, it is not possible to find significant differences between the emission rates measured with the use of additive and without the use of additive. More analysis or more tests should be done to explain the differences obtained.

Reglement sur la reduction de la pollution d'origine agricole.

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This regulation is to be applied to all livestock production units and give norms that have to be respected for activities around the production and the handling of manure. The manure, waste and compost have to be stored and disposed properly. Limitations for manure, compost or commercial fertilizers application are presented in order to protect the environment (distances from water sources, stream, ditches, rivers, lakes, etc.). The provisions for the mandatory nutrient management plan are also given with a progressive obligation for all farms to have such plan on October 1st, 2000 (except for manure application of farms of less than 40 animal units that meet certain requirements and for mineral fertilization for small farms that meet also certain requirements). That plan has to be prepared by and signed by a registered agronomist or by the owner of the farm that has received certified formation. Bookkeeping of the manure application has to be kept for 2 years specifying the field, application rate and date of application. For farms that produce manure in excess considering their land base, contracts have to be signed for at least 2 years with other farms that with the application of this manure will not be in nutrients excess. Specific provisions are presented for buildings and manure storage facilities with separation distances from water source, streams, ditches, rivers and lakes. The elements that rule the mandatory authorization certificate for new projects of livestock production units, expansion of building or increase in animal units, changes of animal species and changes or relocalization of manure storage facilities are given.

Field Investigations of Six Earthen Hog Manure Storages in Saskatchewan

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In Saskatchewan, a study of existing earthen manure storage facilities have been realized in order to help develop siting and construction guidelines for such facilities. 6 existing facilities that had been stored hog manure for 4 to 20 years were cored below the center of the storage in order to verify the migration of solutes. Little migration of solutes was measured for the storage constructed in clay soils however, however for sandy soils conditions the results showed that solutes could migrate to 8 meters below in the case of a storage of 20 years and for another storage that had been used during 8 years, the migration was measured on a distance of 30 meters. In most Saskatchewan soils conditions the solute movement can be expected to be limited in less than 10 m and glacial clay till soils have a lower potential and migration should not exceed 5 m. In granular soils, lightly compacted clay liners over the soil don’t appear to be appropriate as manure seepage can is more likely to happen as a result of the freeze-thaw cycles. Some phenomena have to be investigated on the behavior of storage in clay till soils that don’t have liners before such construction is considered totally safe and they are: the lower seepage travel that expected, the effect of freeze-thaw and wetting-drying cycles, the validity in every conditions of the preferential flows measured to date.

Earthen manure storage in clay soils and particularly when a liner is used seem to be a acceptable way to store manure as little solutes migration occurs. However, as discussed, some investigation has to be done in order to understand the soil behavior.