AMMONIA EMISSIONS FROM SWINE WASTE LAGOON IN THE GREAT BASIN OF UTAH

Authors: Harper, Lowry; WEAVER, K - SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY; DOTSON, R - SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Government Publication/Report
Publication Type: Government Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2004
Publication Date: 4/25/2004
Citation: Harper, L.A., Weaver, K.H., Dotson, R.A. 2004. Ammonia emissions from swine waste lagoon in the Great Basin of Utah. Government Publication/Report. p. 10

Interpretive Summary: In animal feeding operations(poultry, beef, and swine), it is difficult to manage wastes economically for minimizing gaseous losses of nitrogen, e.g. ammonia, which may harm the environment. Researchers at the J.P. Campbell Sr., Natural Resources Conservation Center, USDA-ARS, Watkinsville, GA, and Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT, measured chemical factors in waste processing lagoons, along with climate factors, at a swine feeding operation in the Central Great Basin of the U.S. These measurements were used to determine ammonia emissions. Annual cycling of ammonia losses from the lagoons were observed and compared to climate and lagoon measurements. Windspeed had the largest effect on ammonia loss. Lagoon total ammonia emissions were smallest from hog nursery farms and largest from finisher farms. Emissions on an animal basis were lowest on nursery farms and highest on sow farms. When emissions were compared to the amount of feed consumed by the animals, ammonia emissions from sows were lowest with emissions from finisher animals the highest. Ammonia emissions were compared to similar farm production systems in the Humid East of the U.S. Emissions were found to be the same for finisher farms in both regions but emissions were much lower from sow farms than in comparable Humid East sow production farms. Knowledge of ammonia emissions will assist environmental protection agencies, the animal industries, and designers to identify problem areas to develop best-management practices for reducing emissions. Reduction of air-quality gas emissions by animal feeding operations will minimize environmental impact while continuing to provide a safe food supply.

Technical Abstract: The use of nitrogen (N) is expected to grow extensively in cropping and animal production and the prospects for emissions reduction are therefore a concern. In animal production systems (poultry, beef, and swine), current production, storage, and disposal techniques present a challenge to manage wastes to minimize the emissions each of ammonia (NH3) and other trace gasses without impacting the combined emissions of all trace-gases. Physical and chemical factors were measured on primary and secondary lagoons on three type production farms, three replicates each, in the Central Great Basin of the U.S. to determine NH3 emissions. Nutrient concentration, lagoon water temperature, and micrometeorological data were used with published process and statistical models to calculate emissions. Total NH3 emissions increased in the order of smallest to largest ' nursery, sow, and finisher farms. Emissions on an animal basis increased from nursery animals being lowest to sow animals being highest. Ammonia emissions were compared to similar farm production systems in the Humid East of the U.S. and found to be not different for finisher animals but had much lower emissions than comparable Humid East sow production. Published estimates of NH3 emissions from lagoons ranged from 36 to 70% of feed input (no error range) compared to our emissions determined from a process model of 9.8% with an estimated range of ±4%.