Ammonia and Nitrous Oxide Emission Profile in An Enclosed High-Rise Swine Barn During Winter Months.

Ammonia emission and subsequent deposition can be a major source of pollution, causing nitrogen enrichment, acidification of soils and surface waters, and aerosol formation.  In livestock production housing, ammonia emissions can also adversely affect the health, performance, and welfare of both animals and human operators.  Nitrous oxide is a major greenhouse gas which has more than two hundred times the potency factor than carbon dioxide in global warming. Understanding the fate and transport processes of ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions in swine houses is a necessary first step in utilizing the appropriate abatement strategies.  In this study, the examination and characterization of ammonia and nitrous oxide, major components of odors and toxic gases from swine operations, from an enclosed high-rise swine house were carried out using a photoacoustic gas analyzer. This study was carried out over the winter months to see the effect of seasonality on gas emissions.  The gas emission profiles were monitored continuously for one day per week over a three-month period. The results showed that ammonia and nitrous oxide emission profiles appeared to peak during the morning hours from seven and noon for the months of January to March.  The maximum averaged nitrous oxide and ammonia concentrations reached about 1.60 ppm and 60.0 ppm, respectively.