A large-scale swine production facility has been investigated to find solutions to many odor complaints done by nearby neighbors. This facility houses 50 000 animals and manure is stored in 3 football-field size lagoons. Within a half-mile radius of this setting, live neighbors that have been reporting nuisance from the odor emission of the facility and also alleged farm odor-related health problems which included nose and throat irritation, nausea, vomiting, headaches, sleep problems and breathing difficulties. Odor measurements were taken to identify the production activities that generated most odors and gestation and nursery buildings and field-sprinkling operations were pointed out. Steps were taken to lower the odor-related releases and the following techniques were selected: centrifugal separation and drying of solid waste and soil injection of liquid waste on farm land, and erecting windbreaks by planting multiple rows of trees. The implementation of such methods and maintenance of controls help reduce the odorous emissions. The number of complaints significantly deceased following these management steps.

This investigation and the steps that followed are an interesting example of the type of intervention that could be done to find solutions to odor problems adapted to a particular facility using a system approach. The size of this facility dictated such intervention as the odor problems were probably important and due to the scale of the facility a team of specialists could investigate.