Ammonia emissions from cattle manure versus its quantity

Abstract

The indoor climate in livestock houses is one of the significant factors affecting the productivity of animals.To create an optimal inside environment the proper inside-outside air exchange is required. This leads to significant emissions of harmful substances generated in the rooms: ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, etc. Manure removal systems account for 27 % of the general negative impact on the environment of livestock technologies. The factors influencing the release of ammonia from cattle manure were studied in laboratory setting. Two most significant and linearly independent factors were identified: the area of the polluted surface and the thickness of the manure layer. For research purposes, a laboratory installation was designed, consisting of a body with a fan and an exhaust pipe with an ammonia concentration sensor and air velocity transmitter. Manure with relative moisture content of W = 87.3 % was placed in the body of the installation; the air was blown over the manure surface by the fan and the sensors in the pipe recorded the ammonia concentration and the air flow rate. The ammonia emission from manure was calculated. The obtained data indicated that the area of the manure surface had the greatest impact on the ammonia emission, and with its increase, the emission grew. Analysis of the mean values revealed that the biggest ammonia emission of 129.56 mg•h-1 from the manure was in the variant with the maximum surface area and thickness of the manure layer.