Air & Waste Management Association

June 2008 Quality Assured Measurements of Animal Building Emissions: Odor Concentrations PDF Download (members/subscribers only) Larry D. Jacobson, Brian P. Hetchler, and David R. Schmidt, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN Richard E. Nicolai, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD Albert J. Heber and Ji-Qin Ni, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN Steven J. Hoff, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA Jacek A. Koziel, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University, Amarillo, TX Yuanhui Zhang, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL David B. Beasley, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC David B. Parker, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX Abstract Standard protocols for sampling and measuring odor emissions from livestock buildings are needed to guide scientists, consultants, regulators, and policy-makers. A federally funded, multistate project has conducted field studies in six states to measure emissions of odor, coarse particulate matter (PM10), total suspended particulates, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and carbon dioxide from swine and poultry production buildings. The focus of this paper is on the intermittent measurement of odor concentrations at nearly identical pairs of buildings in each state and on protocols to minimize variations in these measurements. Air was collected from pig and poultry barns in small (10 L) Tedlar bags through a gas sampling system located in an instrument trailer housing gas and dust analyzers. The samples were analyzed within 30 hr by a dynamic dilution forced-choice olfactometer (a dilution apparatus). The olfactometers (AC’SCENT International Olfactometer, St. Croix Sensory, Inc.) used by all participating laboratories meet the olfactometry standards (American Society for Testing and Materials and European Committee for Standardization [CEN]) in the United States and Europe. Trained panelists (four to eight) at each laboratory measured odor concentrations (dilution to thresholds [DT]) from the bag samples. Odor emissions were calculated by multiplying odor concentration differences between inlet and outlet air by standardized (20 °C and 1 atm) building airflow rates. Implications Air emissions from animal production units are a growing concern for regulators, industry representatives, and neighbors living near animal production sites. More specifically, odors that are being emitted from animal production sites can create nuisance issues and tension between neighbors and livestock and poultry producers. This paper outlines a valid and repeatable method for the measurement of odor emissions from animal production buildings as part of a multistate air emission project. The odor emission database from this study could be used in air dispersion models to predict setback distances of animal production sites from neighbors and to evaluate current and future odor control technologies for animal buildings.

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