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

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

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.

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.