EMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION OF PARTICULATES FROM A PIGGERY WITH A CENTRAL AIR EXHAUST

There is increasing concern that airborne dust and particulates from a nimal enterprises which are emitted into the environment may impair th e health of people living in nearby residential areas. Investigations were carried out to trace the distribution of particulate emissions fr om a piggery in the vicinity by means of an aerosol lidar. Additionall y, dust was sampled with a high volume impactor (HVS) at two places do wnwind (50 m, 115 m) and at a reference point 50 m upwind the piggery. The total dust concentraction in the animal house air varied between 0.2 and 1.0 mg/m(3) within 24 hours. 50 m downwind the building 0.08 m g/m(3) dust was measured by means of the HVS. At a distance of 115 m d ownwind the same concentrations (0.037 mg/m(3)) as at the reference po int (0.037 mg/m(3)) upwind the animal house were found. The endotoxin concentrations were 60 ng/m(3) (50 m downwind), 15 ng/m(3) (115 m down wind) and 9 ng/m(3) (50 m upwind). The lidar signals discriminated cle arly between the density of the air directly above the exhaust chimney and the 115 m downwind position. It seems that the lidar technique in combination with high volume impaction form an useful tool to describ e the distribution distance of particulate pollutants from farm animal housing.