Manure Storages

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This standard gives recommandations for the design, construction and siting of manure storage facilities. Methods are given to calculate storage volume and determine storage unit location. Materials and structural design are also discussed.

A Swine Integrator's Prespective on Nutrient Management Procesdures

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The goal of pork producers is to operate in a sustainable manner that includes among other requirements, environmental soundness, social acceptability and profitability. Gains in efficiencyhave reduced nutrients by-products per pig, but competitive forces have led to specialization, larger farms, and concentrated area of production that have resulted in new opportunities related to nutrient management. Availabel technology uses on-farm processing or storage facilities and manure is applied to the land as an organic fertilizer. Knowledge of nutrient content of soils and crop uptake of nutrients is incorporated into manure application and crp remnoval plans to prevent either runoff or nutrient buildup on land. This is to ensurewater quality protection. Existing systems are adequate but lack flexibability, require effective management may not have been incorporated into older farms, and do not offer obvious solutions to odor concerns. Cost-effective alternatives should address those needs. Advancement in nutrient management procedureswill ikely accelerate the on-going changes in the structure of the swine industry.

Floating Permeable Covers to Control Odor from Lagoons and Manure Storages

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Ten different polystyrene foam materials of thickness ranging from 1 to 3 cm were tested for their ability to reduce ammonia and odors emissions from the surface of stored liquid swine manure. The manure was stored in 0.30 m diameter and 0.365 m high pails. Ammonia concentrations were measured and odor emission was evaluated using cotton fabric swatches. All the materials evaluated reduced ammonia emissions from 45 to 90% compared to uncovered manure. Odor panelist could identify an odor intensity reduction as result to cover use. The more effective cover materials presented a sufficient gas permeability allowing the gases to pass through the foam an undergo aerobic breakdown. for less permeable covers, the gas (odor and ammonia) passed around the covers.

The cover testing was done on a very small scale which rises questions about the validity of such results on a larger scale. The odor analysis done with the cloth swatch technique can also be questioned if we consider the results obtained by R.E. Nicolai et al., 1997 (in the same conference).

Design, Construction, and Validation of a Pilot-Scale Biofiltration System for the Reduction of Swine Odor

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Cotton swatch method was used to compare the odours before and after the biofilters. No information is given on the possibility of making those biofilters on a scale size to test it on swine facilities.

Ecosorb – Un neutralisant d'odeurs naturellement efficace

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This product, a mix of essential oils from different plants, seems to neutralize odors and has been used successfully in the food processing industry, waste treatment plans, composting facilities, refineries and petrochimical industries and foundries. The cost of this product seems to be very interesting compare to other expensive odor treatments and the product is harmless to the environment. This product has to be atomized in very fine droplets directly in the air or on the odorous product to neutralize the odor. Ecosorb is always used diluted and this dilution has to be done considering the odor source.

This product seems to be interesting however the text of this conference gives no reference to any specific testing done. Other documents may come later to complete this information. For now it is presented as the product to solve the odor problems but no real evidence is presented to support it.

Huron's Edge (First Issue)

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This newsletter brings out all kinds of concern regarding water pollution in the Lake Huron and its possible sources. They say that they don’t want to point fingers at any group but articles and comments about pork production are more frequent than any other possible pollution source. They propose a letter writing campaign signed by tax paying citizen and address to township council asking them to pass bylaws stopping the expansion of all livestock activities until lake pollution reaches satisfactory levels. No mention on this letter is make on other pollution sources. Most of the time the sources of the information presented in the newsletter are not given and show the worst possible face of the situation. This newsletter is made to stir up controversy and opposition and gives a very bad view of pork production. They present the industry as only oriented to money making at all environmental cost with no to little will to be environmentally friendly in their production ways. Only gives the reader the will to lobby for restraining bylaws not considering the impact of it. Its main trend is opposition not communication and solution making.

Effect of Type of Slatted Floor and Degree of Fouling of Solid Floor on Ammonia Emission Rates from Fattening Piggeries

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The influence on ammonia emission to the atmosphere, of five types of slatted floor and of the degree
of fouling of the solid floor was investigated in houses for fattening pigs . In the experiment there were two concrete slatted floors ( S1 with slats 10 cm wide and 2 cm gaps ; S2 with slats 7 cm wide and 1 . 8 cm gaps) ; a cast iron slatted floor ( S3 with slats 2 . 5 cm wide and 1 . 5 cm gaps) and two floors whose metal slats were triangular in cross section ( S4 with 1 cm wide slats and 1 cm gaps ; S5 was the same as S4 , but partially covered over an area of 0 . 8 3 0 . 7 m with studs 5 cm
high and 3 . 2 cm diameter , spaced at 20 cm) . Three partially slatted compartments (all 25% slatted and 75% bare solid concrete) for 36 fattening pigs each were used . Air was drawn from outside through
underground heat exchange tubes and entered the compartments via a ceiling of perforated plastic sheeting. The five types of slats were changed around between the three compartments (three in , two out)every three weeks during two growing periods of 15 weeks each , one during the winter and one during the summer . Ammonia concentrations in incoming and outgoing air and ventilation rate were measured continuously to calculate the ammonia emission to the atmosphere . The area of the solid floor wetted with urine was assessed visually . The excreting and lying locations of the pigs were determined from video recordings .
S5 showed the lowest occurrence of excretions on the solid floor . Also in S5 the lowest number of pigs were lying on the pen partition side (the side with naps) of the slatted floor . The ammonia emissions were calculated relative to S1 . These were 106% for S2 , 95% for S3 , 73% for S4 and 64% for S5 (SED 16%) . The solid floor was fouled more during the summer than during the winter ( P , 0 . 05) ; fouling increased towards the end of the growing period ( P , 0 . 001) . Opting for slatted floors from metal with more open space than concrete slatted floors , such as the floor with triangular section metal slats , significantly reduces ammonia emission from the slats . Partially covering the slatted floor with studs prevents pigs from lying in this area so that they use this area
for excretion , giving less fouling and ammonia emission from the solid floor .

Laboratory studies on the application of wheat straw and pig slurry to soil and the resulting environmental implications.

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Ammonia Emissions from Composting Livestock Manure

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No comments are given on the ammonia emission and the total ammonia emission for liquid manure storage. The impact of composting on the total ammonia emission for this type of manure management is not presented. The experiments were realized in laboratory with small volume reactors and controlled conditions.

Manure Treatment to Reduce Gas Emissions from Large Swine Houses

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No information on the specific additive tested is given probably as further experiments are made. More explanation are needed on the differences in the nutrients concentration in the manure as those concentration are lower for the manure treated with the additives. The only significant difference obtained in the gases emitted are for the ammonia. Testing in more buildings would provide more data to confirm these results.