Odour Emissions from Livestock Buildings

Abstract

Due to the intensification and concentration of agriculture and the interpenetration of residential and agricultural areas, odours are an important air pollutant. The changes taking place in rural areas mean that not all inhabitants of these areas are involved in agricultural activities, and there are new people looking for an idyllic life in the countryside. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of complaints concerning odour emissions from agricultural sources. The aim of the study was to compare odour emissions from selected livestock buildings for various animal species in the Great Poland Voivodeship. The assessment of odour concentrations was made in accordance with EN 13725: 2003 using the TO 8 olfactometer in the accredited olfactometric laboratory of the Institute of Technology and Life Sciences National Research Institute in Poznań. The fattening house showed the highest odour burden for the surroundings (mean odour concentration and odour emission factor: 450 ouE·m3 and 0.419 ouE·s−1·kg−1, respectively). In the case of buildings for poultry and dairy cows, the differences in the emission factors were not large. The emission factor for poultry (0.232 ouE·s−1·kg−1) was 22% higher than that for dairy cows (0.190 ouE·s−1·kg−1). Conversely, the mean concentration in the hen house (281 ouE·m3) was 18% lower than that in the dairy cow barn (342 ouE·m3).