Evaluating ammonia emission potential from concrete slat designs for pig housing

• Published in: Biosystems engineering Vol. 105; no. 4; pp. 455 - 465
• Main Authors: Hamelin, L., Godbout, S., Thériault, R., Lemay, S.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agricultural machinery and engineering; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal productions; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Generalities. Biometrics, experimentation. Remote sensing; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; Bioengineering; Macronutrient(mineral); Evaluation; Gas emission; Nitrogen compounds; Livestock farm; Potential; Inorganic element; Pig barn; Ammonia; Engineering; Animal housing; Inorganic nitrogen; Agriculture; Concrete
• ISSN: 1537-5110; 1537-5129
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2010.01.004

In growing-finishing pig houses, ammonia (NH 3) is mainly produced by excreta on the concrete slatted floor surface and in the slurry pit. The objective of this study was to reduce the amount of NH 3 emissions produced on the fouled floor surfaces of growing-finishing pig houses by finding a slat design that minimises the contact between excreta and concrete. Concrete slat prototypes were tested with regards to their NH 3 emission potential under fouling simulations. Three factors were studied; the slats cross-section shape, the presence or absence of a notch along the slats, and the presence or absence of an epoxy coating applied to the slats. Slats were uniformly fouled with a urea–urease solution. Immediately after fouling, the slats were inserted in an environmental emission chamber and NH 3 concentrations were measured at 2, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after the fouling event. Emission rates were calculated for each of these five sampling events. Statistical analysis showed that only the presence of a notch had a significant effect on the reduction of NH 3 emission rates. Compared with the control design that is typically used in pig houses, the presence of a notch resulted in average reductions between 23 and 42%.