ammonia emission

We present ammonia observations of 193 dense cores and core candidates in the Perseus molecular cloud made using the Robert F. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. We simultaneously observed the NH 3 (1,1), NH 3 (2,2), C 2 S (2 1 → 1 0 ) and C 34 2 S(2 1 → 1 0 ) transitions near ν = 23 GHz for each of the targets with a spectral resolution of δv ≈ 0.024 km s -1 . We find ammonia emission associated with nearly all of the (sub)millimeter sources as well as at several positions with no associated continuum emission. For each detection, we have measured physical properties by fitting a simple model to every spectral line simultaneously. Where appropriate, we have refined the model by accounting for low optical depths, multiple components along the line of sight and imperfect coupling to the GBT beam. For the cores in Perseus, we find a typical kinetic temperature of T k = 11 K, a typical column density of N NH3 ≈ 10 14.5 cm -2 and velocity dispersions ranging from σ v = 0.07 km s -1 to 0.7 km s -1 . However, many cores with σ v > 0.2 km s -1 show evidence for multiple velocity components along the line of sight.

A full-scale treatment system for swine manure was developed to eliminate discharge to surface and ground waters and contamination of soil and groundwater by nutrients and heavy metals, along with related release of ammonia, odor, and pathogens. The system greatly increased the efficiency of liquid-solid separation by polymer injection to increase solids flocculation. Nitrogen management to reduce ammonia emissions was accomplished by passing the liquid through a module where bacteria transformed ammonia into harmless nitrogen gas. Subsequent alkaline treatment of the wastewater in a phosphorus module precipitated phosphorus and killed pathogens. Treated wastewater was recycled to clean swine houses and for crop irrigation. The system was tested during one year in a 4400-head finishing farm as part of the Agreement between the Attorney General of North Carolina and swine producers Smithfield Foods, Premium Standard Farms and Frontline Farmers to replace traditional waste treatment anaerobic lagoons with environmentally superior technology. The on-farm system removed 97.6% of the suspended solids, 99.7% of BOD, 98.5% of TKN, 98.7% of soluble ammonia ðNH þ 4-NÞ, 95.0% of total P, 98.7% of copper and 99.0% of zinc. It also removed 97.9% of odor compounds in the liquid and reduced pathogen indicators to non-detectable levels. Based on performance obtained, it was determined that the treatment system met the Agreement's technical performance standards that define an environmentally superior technology. These findings overall showed that cleaner alternative technologies are technically and operationally feasible and that they can have significant positive impacts on the environment and the livestock industry.

Theeffects on nitrogen losses and volatilisation of ammonia, methane and nitrousoxide from manure storage were investigated using excreta of dairy cows fed twoforage-based rations, (i) young grass (ad libitum) and hay (2 kgd–1) or (ii) hay (ad libitum) and concentrate (3kg d–1). In two series either grass of low crudeprotein content (112 g kg–1 dry matter, similar tothe hay) or of high crude protein content (229 gkg–1) was used. Emissions from the resulting manureswere investigated in two common storage systems, the liquid manure system andthe slurry/farmyard manure system. Storage was performed under controlledconditions using the chamber technique to quantify trace gas emissions and themass balance method to measure total nitrogen loss. The ration characterised bythe low-protein grass resulted in higher urinary nitrogen and lower faecalnitrogen excretion than the hay ration, thus significantly enhancing totalnitrogen and ammonia emissions from all types of manure. Differences to t...

Ammonia is the most abundant basic gas in the atmosphere, and after N 2 and N 2 O is the most abundant nitrogencontaining specie (Seinfeld and Pandis, 1998. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: from air pollution to climate changes. Wiley, New York). Typical concentrations of ammonia in the boundary layer range from o1 part per billion by volume (ppbv) in the free continental troposphere to parts per million (ppmv) levels over animal waste lagoons and near animal stalls. Agricultural activities are the dominant global source of ammonia emissions and a major environmental concern. In the US, E85% of ammonia emissions come from livestock operations (EPA Trends, 1998. www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/trends98/chapter2.pdf). Dairy farms constitute a large fraction of the livestock inventory. Current estimates of ammonia emissions to the atmosphere are characterized by a high degree of uncertainty, and so it is very important to obtain better estimates of ammonia emissions. We are working at the Washington State University research dairy to quantify ammonia emissions and investigate the effects of various mitigation strategies on those emissions. We describe here a new instrument utilizing the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique to measure ammonia in the mid-ultraviolet with a detectability limit of about 1 ppb. DOAS avoids many of the problems that have thwarted past ammonia concentration measurements. Initial results show concentrations in the barn/concrete yard areas in the tens of parts per million range, over the slurry lagoons of hundreds of parts per billion to low parts per million, and low parts per million levels after initial slurry applications onto pastureland. Future papers will report on emission fluxes from the various parts of the dairy and the results of mitigation strategies; we show here initial data results. For a recent review of ammonia volatilization from dairy farms, see Bussink and Oenema (Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 51(1998) 19).

We used Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to measure tailpipe ammonia emissions from a representative fleet of 41 light and medium-duty vehicles recruited in the California South Coast Air Basin. A total of 121 chassis dynamometer emissions tests were conducted on these vehicles and the test results were examined to determine the effects of several key variables on ammonia emissions. Variables included vehicle type, driving cycle, emissions technology, ammonia precursor emissions (i.e. CO and NOx) and odometer readings/model year as a proxy for catalyst age. The mean ammonia emissions factor was 46 mg km À1 (s ¼ 48 mg km À1) for the vehicle fleet. Average emission factors for specific vehicle groups are also reported in this study. Results of this study suggest vehicles with the highest ammonia emission rates possess the following characteristics: medium-duty vehicles, older emissions technologies, mid-range odometer readings, and higher CO emissions. In addition, vehicles subjected to aggressive driving conditions are likely to be higher ammonia emitters. Since the vehicles we studied were representative of recent model year vehicles and technologies in urban airsheds, the results of our study will be useful for developing ammonia emissions inventories in Los Angeles and other urban areas where California-certified vehicles are driven. However, efforts should also be made to continue emissions testing on in-use vehicles to ensure greater confidence in the ammonia emission factors reported here.

This is a review of the Canadian science and technology related to sources, impacts and abatement for atmospheric nitrogen emissions from agriculture. The primary focus is on the gases ammonia (NH,) and nitrogen oxides (NO,). In Canada, recent inventories show a significant increase in agricultural emissions of NH,. Most emissions are from farm animals, with the remainder from fertilizer application. Current estimates indicate that farm vehicles contribute approximately 5% of total NO, emissions in Canada. Fertilized farmland is also a source of NO,. Techniques that are available to Canadian producers to reduce on-farm nitrogen air emissions include: feeding strategies, manure management and housing for livestock, air purification, and synthetic nutrient management. Improved efficiency of fuel combustion in farm vehicles reduces NO, emissions. At the present time, relative to significant Canadian studies on agricultural sources of nitrogen air emissions, there is little research into the associated environmental effects and on abatement techniques. There is a need for further investigation into all aspects of atmospheric nitrogen emissions in Canadian agriculture.

A 15 N labeling and lysimeter experiment was conducted with mesocosms of a semi-arid Leymus chinensis grassland. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of N fertilization timing (fertilization in fall or spring) and rate (0, 56, and 112 kg-N ha −1 year −1) on ecosystem services (seed yield and forage yield), ecosystem disservices (N leaching surveyed during 1 year and emissions of NH 3 and N 2 O integrated over 76 days after fertilization), and recovery of added fertilizer N in plants and soil. Seed and forage yields increased more under fall than spring N fertilization. Further, N fertilization was linked to higher soil NH 3 and N 2 O emissions, particularly under high N rate for both NH 3 (2.0 and 1.6 kg-N ha −1 under fall and spring N fertilization, respectively) and N 2 O (0.24 and 0.21 kg-N ha −1 , respectively). N leaching was never observed. A significant N fertilization timing × rate interaction effect was observed on plant recovery efficiency of added fertilizer N (Plant-NRE). Plant-NRE was higher for high than moderate N rate, with + 13.2% (from 22.8 to 36%) and + 16.4% (from 28.2 to 44.7%) for fall and spring fertilization, respectively. Fertilizer N recovered in soil was highest for moderate N rate in fall (68% of total N fertilizer) and lowest for high N rate in spring (46%). Our results show synergies among the ecosystem services (seed and forage yields) and among the disservices (NH 3 and N 2 O emissions), and trade-offs between the services and disservices, some of these synergies and trade-offs being modulated by N fertilization timing and rate. Our study is the first one analyzing the possibly interactive effects of the N fertilization timing and rate on this range of ecosystem services and disservices in semi-arid perennial grasslands, which can be useful for N risk: benefit analysis when evaluating N fertilization strategies.

Currently, very simple parameterizations for the seasonal variation of the ammonia (NH 3) emissions are used in most air pollution models. This limits the capability to reproduce observed seasonal variations in the NH 3 concentrations in rural regions with agricultural activity. A dynamical parameterization of the temporal variation of NH 3 emission for application into air pollution models has therefore been proposed. The obtained improvements are demonstrated by implementing a dynamical NH 3 emission parameterization into the large-scale air pollution model ACDEP. Meteorology, information about agricultural practice, and a simple crop growth model are the basis for the parameterization. Fifteen additive functions are used to describe the different parts of the NH 3 emissions from agriculture, and a 16th function is used to describe NH 3 emission from catalysts used in road traffic. The new parameterization is tested by comparison of model results with NH 3 measurements from Danish monitoring stations situated in agricultural areas during the years 1999-2001. Improvements in correlation coefficient of calculated diurnal mean concentrations from 0.42 to 0.70 have been achieved, and a monthly correlation coefficient up to 0.98 has been obtained for the Tange station in 2000. This validation shows that the new parameterization gives a substantial improvement in the model calculations of the NH 3 concentrations in areas with high agricultural activities. Finally, the validation showed that optimum results are obtained by including a temperature correction on the gauss functions representing the emission sources.

There is a need for treatment technologies that can effectively address environmental concerns associated with manure in confined animal production, including accurate assessment of their environmental benefit. These technologies must be able to capture nutrients, kill pathogens, and reduce emissions of ammonia (NH 3) and nuisance odors from manure. To meet these needs, a wastewater treatment plant was demonstrated at full-scale in one of two 4,360-pig production units on a finishing farm in Duplin County, North Carolina. The treatment system installed in the first production unit combined new treatment technologies consisting of solid-liquid separation with removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from the liquid phase. The second production unit was used as a control to evaluate emission improvements using traditional anaerobic lagoon technology. Both production units had similar production management and lagoons with similar surface area (about 0.9 ha each) and wastewater design. As the treatment system recovered the manure solids and replaced the anaerobic lagoon liquid with cleaner water, it converted the anaerobic lagoon into a treated water pond. Our objective was to study changes in NH 3 emissions as a result of improved water quality. The study was done one year after lagoon conversion into aerated pond as a result of manure treatment and included cold and warm weather conditions. Passive flux samplers were used to measure NH 3 gas fluxes from both lagoon systems. Average total ammoniacal N (TAN) concentrations in lagoon liquid were 31 and 388 mg/L for the treated and traditional systems, respectively. We found that free NH 3 (FA) concentration, which integrates TAN, temperature, and pH into a single factor, explained 90% of the variation in NH 3 emissions from these lagoon systems. Lower N concentrations in the converted lagoon substantially reduced annual NH 3 emissions by 90% with respect to those found in the traditional anaerobic lagoon. Ammonia emissions from the converted lagoon totaled 1,210 kg N/lagoon/year (or 1,311 kg N/ha/year). This annual rate compares with NH 3 emissions of 12,540 kg N/lagoon/year (13,633 kg N/ha/year) from the traditional lagoon. Overall, these results demonstrate that production of clean water using new wastewater technologies can accelerate lagoon cleanup and substantially reduce ammonia emissions from confined animal production.

Atmospheric ammonia ðNH 3 Þ measurements are needed to better understand the impacts of NH 3 emissions on aerosol formation and concentrations and anthropogenic changes to the N cycle. This paper describes concentration measurements of NH 3 using differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS), tracer ratio flux experiments, and development of a NH 3 emissions model from a dairy milking cow free stall house with concrete floors. An area source tracer gas ratio method was used to determine NH 3 fluxes which involved releasing SF 6 as the tracer gas from the upwind edge of the stalls and measuring the tracer concentration downwind along with the DOAS NH 3 measurements. The flux is calculated from the ratio of the NH 3 and SF 6 concentrations and the SF 6 release rate and taking into account the differences in area and dispersion. The measured stall flux for the summers averaged 29 AE 19 g NH 3 cow À1 h À1 at an average temperature of 18 AE 5 C. The emissions model calculated liquid NH 3 concentrations in urine puddles, NH 3 volatilization, theoretical and empirical mass transfer to the bulk atmosphere, and NH 3 transport. The predicted concentrations were within AE30% using an empirical mass transfer coefficient and within AE41% using a theoretical mass transfer coefficient. Total annual NH 3 emissions for the dairy of 185 milking cows was 7400 kg or 40 kg NH 3 cow À1 year À1 , estimated total N excretions are 180 kg cow À1 year À1. This agrees with a N mass balance of the dairy. The model was very sensitive to urine puddle pH and also showed that emissions are temperature dependent.

Incorporation of manure into soil can effectively reduce ammonia emissions after spreading. This study was aimed at finding an appropriate tine design, which shallowly injects slurry in closed slots on grassland, with relatively low draught forces and minimal emissions of ammonia. Hollow 'tubulator' tines were developed in six different designs and compared with a double disc tine. Horizontal and vertical forces were measured in an indoor sand bin and in field experiments. In some field tests slurry placement and ammonia emissions were also measured. With the sharp tip of the smallest tubulator (application rate of 25 t ha-1 ; depth of 5 cm) the draught forces in the field were from 520 to 1080 N, depending on soil. Draught forces for the double disc tine were similar or slightly lower. However, under all soil conditions, the tubulator required significantly lower vertical forces to penetrate the soil than the double disc tine. For an application rate of 35 t ha-1 , draught and vertical forces for the medium-sized tubulators were about half those for the double disc tine at 8 cm depth. Ammonia losses after injection with the tubulator were 1Á6% and for the double disc tine 27% of applied ammonia nitrogen. Thus, appropriate tine design can minimise ammonia losses while maintaining similar energy requirements to a conventional injector.

The present study aimed to elucidate the atmosphere-forest exchange of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH X -N) at a young larch ecosystem. NH X -N exchanges were measured at a remote site in northernmost Japan where 4-year-old larches were growing after a pristine forest had been clear-cut and subsequent dense dwarf bamboo (Sasa) had been strip-cut. The site was a clean area for atmospheric ammonia with mean concentrations of 0.38 and 0.11 μg N m −3 in snowless and snow seasons, respectively. However, there was a general net emission of NH X -N. The annual estimated emission of NH X -N of 4.8 kg N ha −1 year −1 exceeded the annual wet deposition of 2.4 kg N ha −1 year −1 , but the weekly exchange fluxes may have been underestimated by 28-60%. The main cause of the ammonia loss from the young larch ecosystem was probably enhanced nitrogen supply stimulated by the cutting of the pristine forest and Sasa, in particular, the Sasa.

The effect of starch source and phytic acid (PA) supplementation on phosphorus (P) partitioning and ruminal phytase activity was evaluated in eight midlactation cows (four ruminally cannulated). Cows were randomly assigned to treatments in replicated 4 x 4 Latin squares with four 18-d periods. Diets included dry ground corn (DG) or steam-flaked corn (SF), with no supplemental P (L; 0.33% P) or supplemental purified PA (0.44% P) to provide additional P from a nonmineral source. Total collection of milk, urine, and feces was conducted on d 16 to 18 of each period. Ruminal fluid was sampled and ruminal pH measured every 8 h on d 17 and 18. Milk yield was unaffected by starch source, despite lower DMI by cows fed SF. Cows fed SF had increased DM digestibility compared with those fed DG, and tended to have higher efficiency of milk yield (1.40 vs. 1.35 kg of milk/kg of DMI). Intake and fecal excretion of P was lower in cows fed SF than in cows fed DG. In cows fed SF, milk P as a percenta...

We present high angular resolution VLA and BIMA observations of NH 3 , HCO + , HCN and SO molecular emission and 1.4, 3.5 and 7 mm continuum emission toward the exciting source of the HH 80-81 system. This object is one of the few massive protostars known to be driving a collimated outflow. We report the first detection of SO 5 5-4 4 molecular emission toward the exciting source of HH 80-81, suggesting that this transition may be a good tracer of molecular gas near massive protostars. We also detected toward this source dust continuum emission at 1.4 and 3.5 mm. From the SO molecular emission and the dust emission we roughly estimated that the molecular mass associated with the circumstellar surroundings of the exciting source of the thermal jet is in the range 1-3 M ⊙. Weak and broad (2,2) ammonia emission was also found in the

The main objective of this study was to quantify ammonia emissions from organically raised pregnant sows and to compare them with emissions from conventional pig production. A second objective was to quantify the nutrients deposited in the paddock in organic pig grazing systems. Measurements were carried out on three Dutch farms on 1 day in each of two measuring seasons (spring/summer and autumn). Ammonia emissions were measured by the ventilated chamber technique at different locations inside the building and on the paved outside yard. The nutrient loads of N, P and K were calculated according to their content in urine and faeces, average weight of urine and faeces per excretion, and number of urinations and defecations in the paddock. Ammonia emission per m 2 did not differ statistically significantly between seasons and between inside and outside the building. Fouling of the floor with urine and faeces had a strong effect on ammonia emission (probability Po0Á001). Emissions varied greatly between farms. When emissions were calculated per kg per pig place per year, on one farm they far exceeded the Dutch standard for regular pig farming. On the other two farms they slightly exceeded the standard. The main reason seems to be that pregnant sows on organic farms have outside yards, which are an additional source of ammonia emission. The nitrogen and phosphorus loads on the paddock varied greatly between the farms, statistically significant for N ðPo0Á01Þ; not significant for P and significant for K ðPo0Á05Þ: The total amount of nutrients on one of the farms (407Á5 kg ha À1 yr À1 for N and 113 kg ha À1 yr À1 for P) far exceeded the permitted levels (170 kg ha À1 yr À1 for N and 44 kg ha À1 yr À1 for P).

There is a lack of information on ammonia (NH 3 ) emissions from cattle housing systems in Mediterranean countries, with most published data deriving from NW Europe. An investigation was carried out in NW Portugal to quantify NH 3 emissions for the main types of dairy cattle buildings in Portugal, i.e. naturally ventilated buildings and outdoor concrete yards, and to derive robust emission factors (EFs) for these conditions and compare with EFs used elsewhere in Europe. Measurements were made throughout a 12-month period using the passive flux sampling method in the livestock buildings and the equilibrium concentration technique in outdoor yards.

Ammonia emissions contribute to acidification in Europe. The major emission sources are livestock and fertiliser use. This study presents the costs of controlling ammonia emissions in 33 regions in Europe. Abatement options include low nitrogen feed, stable adaptations, covering manure storage, cleaning stable air, and low ammonia applications of manure. Cost estimates are based on country-and technology-specific data. Variations in average costs, and the structure of livestock population and fertiliser use, cause considerable differences in costs between countries for applying similar reductions or techniques. Allowing countries to choose their own mix of control options would be more cost-effective.

The effect of C:N ratio, temperature and water content on ammonia volatilization during two-phase composting of sheep manure was evaluated. The aerobic phase was conducted under field conditions. This was followed by Phase II, vermicomposting, conducted in the laboratory under controlled conditions of water content (70% and 80%) and temperature (15 and 22°C). The addition of extra straw lead to a 10% reduction in NH 3 volatilization compared to sheep manure composted without extra straw. Temperature and water content significantly effected ammonia volatilization at 0 day in Phase II, with a water content of 70% and temperature of 22°C leading to greater losses of ammonia. Nitrogen loss by ammonia volatilization during vermicomposting ranged from 8% to 15% of the initial N content. The addition of extra straw did not result in significant differences in total carbon content following vermicomposting.

Because of the obvious importance of aerosols for atmospheric modelling, an aerosol module has been developed as part of the European Acid Deposition Model (EURAD). The chemical and physical processes have been restricted to the sulfate-nitrate-ammonia system to study the influence of aerosols on acid deposition. Special consideration is given to the reversible formation process of NH4NO a aerosols and the influence of the dissociation constant on the aerosol and gas phase concentrations. This component appears to be important in particular for regions where large ammonia emissions are found as in Europe. Concentration and deposition fields as predicted by EURAD are analysed for a simulation with and without the new aerosol module. Due to their smaller dry deposition velocities in the aerosol phase, the amount of nitrogen species in air is larger and the spatial distribution is considerably different if aerosols are taken into account. On the other hand wet deposition of nitrogen is enhanced due to the presence of easily soluble ammonium nitrate aerosols. A comparison with observations from the EMEP network has been conducted to evaluate the performance of the aerosol module. Modelling with the aerosol phase leads to a much better agreement between modelled and measured concentration fields.

Temporal and spatial variations in ammonia (NH 3) emissions and ammonium (NH 4 +) concentrations associated with aerosols and volume-weighted NH 4 + concentration in precipitation are investigated over the period 1990-1998 in the southeast United States

Government targets for ammonia emission and for N and P loss per hectare (ha) of agricultural land were used to assess carrying capacity for poultry production in The Netherlands with data from 1990. In addition, the effect of alternative management strategies on carrying capacity was determined. Ammonia emission from poultry production in 1990 [20.5 gigagrams (Gg) N] exceeded the target for 2000 (i.e., 6.9 Gg N). Targets defined for 2000 and 2010 (i.e., 4.6 Gg N) can be achieved, however, without reducing poultry numbers, assuming national introduction of measurements studied. Measures that reduced ammonia emission directly, i.e., introduction of low-emission housing or manure application techniques, were most effective. In 1990, N and P losses equalled 215 kg/ha for N and 31 kg/ha for P. The N loss

Diets containing 132, 152, 183 and 206 g/kg crude protein (CP) were fed to growing and finishing boars to evaluate the effect on nutrient digestibility, N balance, faecal volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia-N (NH 3 -N) emission. Dietary CP concentration was adjusted by altering the ratio of wheat:soyabean meal. Lysine, threonine, tryptophan and total sulphur-containing amino acids were included in all diets at concentrations equivalent to that in the highest CP diet. All diets were formulated to provide 9.7 MJ/kg of net energy. Urine and faeces were collected from 16 boars (4 boars per treatment) housed in metabolism crates. Collections were performed at 72, 80 and 87 kg live weight. NH 3 -N emission was measured over 10 days using a laboratory scale procedure. Reducing the concentration of dietary CP decreased N intake (linear, P < < 0.01), the excretion of urinary N, ammoniacal N and total N (linear, P < < 0.001; cubic, P < < 0.001) and the emission of NH 3 -N (linear, P < < 0.001; cubic, P < < 0.01). Total N excretion and NH 3 -N emission decreased 8.7% and 10.1% per 10 g/kg reduction in dietary CP concentration between 205.6 and 131.9 g/kg, respectively. There was no interaction between dietary CP concentration and collection period. N balance differed between the

Air emissions will be one of the greatest challenges facing the poultry industry in the future. Federal regulations as applied to animal agriculture will be further defined as additional baseline data are obtained. Ammonia emissions monitoring requires accurate ventilation estimates, ammonia detection, and trained personnel. There are wide variations in ammonia emissions among houses, ages of birds, and flocks. Ammonia emission levels per house occasionally exceed the threshold of 45 kg /d (100 lb/d) set by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). In the future poultry producers may need to address ammonia emissions when adopting best management practices for their operations.

Gaseous ammonia emissions from livestock production are deemed responsible for the acidification of several ecosystems and for the formation of PM 2.5. The latter induces adverse health effects in humans, mostly respiratory ailments. In this study, ammonia emission rates from two tie-stall commercial dairy buildings were monitored in Canada where little data is currently available. Buildings studied were mechanically ventilated and livestock management practices were typical of Eastern Canada. Ammonia emission measurements made at building A during the months of February and March 2007 ranged from 3.77 to 6.80 g day À1 animal À1 while those performed at building B during summer 2007 ranged from 11.33 to 18.20 g day À1 animal À1. These values fall within the range of ammonia emission rates found in the literature for studies completed in Western Europe: 0.1625 g day À1 AU À1 to 23.38 g day À1 animal À1. A titration method, using acid traps, was used at building B to measure average ammonia concentrations while an electrochemical ammonia analyser was used at building A for continuous measurements. Propeller anemometers were developed to measure building ventilation flow rates. The precision of the equipment used to measure building ventilation rates and gaseous ammonia concentrations inside the building were evaluated at both locations.

Ammonia (NH 3 ) emissions from agriculture have been studied in Switzerland since the beginning of the nineties. In the beginning, work focused on measurements of emissions at manure spreading and from animal housing. Later it shifted to experiments on the influence of dairy rations on emissions. In recent years it mainly focused on an improved emission inventory methodology and on the assessment of the abatement potential. This development also reflects the changing perception on the question of NH 3 emissions. In the eighties fears dominated that additional restrictions imposed on farmers to reduce NH 3 emissions might make manure management nearly impossible. Since severe restrictions on the nitrogen balance have been introduced, the interest of farmers to reduce nitrogen losses has increased considerably and with it farmers' awareness of NH 3 emissions. This contribution gives an overview of this development and of the main research work.

A study was conducted to determine the effects of solid-liquid separation of liquid swine manure on ammonia emissions from lagoons. This determination was done at full-scale in two contiguous swine production units that had similar animal production management. One of these units was maintained as a control using the anaerobic lagoon treatment method. In the second production unit, solids were removed from liquid manure using an enhanced-polymer solid-liquid separation treatment prior to lagoon storage. The ammonia gas fluxes from both lagoons were measured simultaneously during a 10-month period (Feb.-Nov., 2004) using passive flux samplers. On average, the solid-liquid separation treatment separated 85% of total suspended solids (TSS), 60% of total solids (TS), 73% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), 81% of organic N, and 8% of total ammoniacal N (TAN) from the liquid entering the lagoon. Ammonia emissions from the anaerobic lagoon control totaled 12,542 kg N/yr (13,633 kg N/ha/yr). This compares to lower ammonia emissions of 3,426 kg N/yr (or 3,684 kg N/ha/yr) from the anaerobic lagoon treated with solid-liquid separation. Although water quality changes were modest in the treated lagoon with respect to the control, total annual NH 3 emissions abatement in the lagoon with solid-liquid separation was 73% with respect to the anaerobic lagoon control. These results overall demonstrate that solid-liquid separation technologies can substantially reduce ammonia emissions from anaerobic swine lagoons.

Early international agreements on emission reduction strategies have focused on single pollutants, requiring equal relative reductions from all signatories of the protocols. In the meantime it has been recognized that such single pollutant strategies do not necessarily result in cost-effective allocation of resources. Consequently, multi-pollutant strategies are being explored to serve as a basis for further agreements on international emission reductions. Reductions in ammonia emissions have not yet been very eminent on the international agenda as one possible approach to derive more cost-effective emission reduction strategies. This paper focuses on the simultaneous control of both nitrogen oxides and ammonia emission and examines to what extent this combined control could contribute to the cost effective attainment of deposition targets for nitrogen in Europe.

An analysis of fine particulate data in eastern North Carolina was conducted to investigate the impact of the hog industry and its emissions of ammonia into the atmosphere. The fine particulate data are simulated using ISORROPIA, an equilibrium thermodynamic model that simulates the gas and aerosol equilibrium of inorganic atmospheric species. The observational data analyses show that the major constituents of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) are organic carbon, elemental carbon, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium. The observed PM 2.5 concentration is positively correlated with temperature but anticorrelated with wind speed. The correlation between PM 2.5 and wind direction at some locations suggests an impact of ammonia emissions from hog facilities on PM 2.5 formation. The modeled results are in good agreement with observations, with slightly better agreement at urban sites than at rural sites. The predicted total inorganic particulate matter (PM) concentrations are within 5% of the observed values under conditions with median initial total PM species concentrations, median relative humidity (RH), and median temperature. Ambient conditions with high PM precursor concentrations, low temperature, and high RH appear to favor the formation of secondary PM.

Non-point source pollution is notoriously difficult to asses. A relevant example is ammonia emissions in the Netherlands. Since the mid 1980s the Dutch government has sought to reduce emissions through a wide variety of measures, the effect of which in turn is monitored using modeling techniques. This paper presents the current generation of mineral emission models from agriculture based on micro-simulation of farms in combination with a spatial equilibrium model for the dispersion of manure from excess regions with high livestock intensities within the country to areas with low livestock intensities. The micro-simulation approach retains the richness in the heterogeneity of farm household decision making that are the core cause of the difficulty of assessing non-point source pollution, while using the best available data to track corresponding pollution. Examples are provided that illustrate the strengths of the modeling framework for both pollution monitoring and environmental policy scenario analyses.

Continuous quantification of aerial emissions from animal feeding operations over an extended time period is labor and resource intensive. Strategically reducing measurement time to achieve comparable emission results is thus highly desirable. This article delineates the effects of measurement intervals on estimation of annual mean and maximum daily ammonia emission rate (ER) of high-rise (HR) and manure-belt (MB) layer houses. The full dataset consisted of 318 daily ER values of four HR houses from weekly 48 h continuous measurement and 112 daily ER values of two MB houses from biweekly 48 h continuous measurements over one-year period. Each full dataset was sampled to yield subsets of daily ER at different intervals, i.e., one week (HR houses only), two weeks, one month, two months, or three months. The corresponding estimates of annual ammonia ER from the subsets were computed and compared with that of the full dataset. The results indicate that the annual mean daily ER values derived from the subsets progressively deviated from that of the full dataset by 3% to 37% for the HR houses and by 6% to 41% for the MB houses. The augmented measurement intervals (i.e., greater than biweekly for the HR houses and greater than monthly for the MB houses) led to considerable underestimation of the daily maximum ER values, and thus are not recommended when daily maximum emission values are to be assessed.

A new instrument for measurement of atmospheric ammonia based on short path ultraviolet spectroscopic absorption is now operational at the WSU Knott dairy farm near Pullman, WA. The instrument has a sensitivity of approximately 1 ppbv for NH 3 in an integration time of less than one minute with absolute accuracy approximately +20%. Concentration measurements have been made over the various settling lagoons, downwind from the lagoons, in the operations area of the dairy, and during the application of lagoon slurry to fields. An SF 6 tracer ratio technique has been used to obtain the NH 3 fluxes (+30% accuracy) and to verify an atmospheric dispersion model. Determinations have been made in spring, summer and fall 2000. Preliminary summer ammonia fluxes ranged from 30 to 75µg/m 2 s from one of the settling lagoons for the 390 cow dairy.

Zusammenfassung: In dieser Studie werden Dokumente der Europäischen Kommission zur künftigen Klimaschutzstrategie, eine Studie von McKinsey sowie ein UNFCCC-Papier in Hinblick auf Aussagen zu Klimaschutzmaßnahmen im Agrar- und Forstbereich untersucht. Die EU-Dokumente lassen einen steigenden politischen Handlungsbedarf für den Klimaschutz auch außerhalb des Treibhausgasemissions-Handelssystems (EU-ETS) erwarten. Die anderen beiden Dokumente geben Einschätzungen zu weltweiten Klimaschutzpotentialen wieder, und die Ergebnisse sind nur sehr eingeschränkt auf Deutschland anwendbar. In Kapitel 3 werden erste Ergebnisse einer Literaturanalyse zu Potentialen und Kosten von Maßnahmen im Agrarbereich dargestellt. Die Literaturanalyse ergab keine umfassenden, für Deutschland gültigen Aussagen, vielmehr zeigt sich eine hohe Sensitivität von Methoden, Annahmen und Systemabgrenzungen für die Bewertungen von THG-Minderungsmaßnahmen im Agrarsektor. Zur Bewertung von Minderungspotentialen und Koste...

Overname van de inhoud is toegestaan, mits met duidelijke bronvermelding. Aansprakelijkheid Wageningen UR Livestock Research aanvaardt geen aansprakelijkheid voor eventuele schade voortvloeiend uit het gebruik van de resultaten van dit onderzoek of de toepassing van de adviezen.

Poultry producers in the United States have attempted to maintain barn aerial ammonia (NH 3) levels below 25 ppm to improve air quality and, more recently, to decrease gas emissions to the atmosphere. Poultry are most susceptible to elevated ammonia level during 1 to 21 days after hatching, the brooding period. Ammonia emission to the atmosphere contributes to fine particulate matter formation, regional haze, nitrogen deposition in sensitive ecosystems, and acidification of soils. Regulatory scrutiny of ammonia emissions from animal agriculture is currently increasing. Broiler chickens and turkeys are floor-raised on litter that starts as new bedding (sawdust, wood shavings, rice hulls, etc.) and becomes a mixture of decomposing manure and bedding as birds grow. Litter is the source of volatilizing ammonia in poultry production and its management is a key factor affecting emission rate and bird health. Various strategies are currently employed to manage litter to minimize bird exposure to high ammonia concentrations. Reducing litter moisture content and pH are the major means of reducing ammonia volatilization. Litter pH is reduced by applying acidifying compounds to litter prior to new flock placement.