Influence of different pig housing systems on odor emissions

The odor emissions from two different housing systems were determined durin g three fattening periods from October 1999 to November 2000 by analyzing w eekly samples by means of dynamic olfactometry. The objects of the investig ations were a standard housing system with fully slatted floor and forced v entilation (FF) compared with a kennel housing system with natural shaft ve ntilation (KN) in parallel operation. Only little data but with a wide rang e of odor emission values are available from the literature and these are d ifficult to compare and interpret, because of missing standards in presenti ng the results and experimental conditions. Therefore minimum requirements for measuring odor emissions from livestock buildings have been derived. In the scope of the measurements during the first two fattening periods (Octo ber 1999 to June 2000), no differences in odor emissions could be determine d with mean values related to the livestock units (1 LU = 500 kg life weigh t) of 85 (FF) / 87 (KN) in period A and 60 (FF) / 61 (KN) (OU/s)LU-1 in per iod B. The overall range of the results of all measurements in periods A an d B was 4 to 355 (OU/s)LU-1. In period C (August-November 2000), the system FF showed higher odor emissions with 193 (28-550) compared to system KN wi th 105 (25-218) (OU/s)LU-1. The air flow rates and odor concentrations at t he three different naturally ventilated exhaust shafts of system KN differe d considerably from each other. Odor measurement techniques with a higher t emporal resolution than olfactometry are necessary to give evidence for the main factors influencing the odor formation and release.