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Ammonia and Greenhouse Gases Emission from On-Farm Stored Pig Slurry

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Abstract

Pig farms have achieved importance in the last few decades from the perspective of environment protection as a consequence of the intensive rearing systems in livestock production. Ammonia (NH3) and greenhouse gases (GHG), such as methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O), are emitted from slurry storage at farm prior to land application, but little is known about these losses under on-farm conditions in Spain. This study assessed the influence of management and environmental parameters on NH3 and GHG emissions from slurry storage in spring and autumn. Gas emissions were measured in a commercial pig-fattening farm from two lagoons (1000 and 768 m3 capacity, respectively) during 30 days by the floating dynamic chamber system in spring and autumn 2011 (average temperature 19 and 9 °C, respectively). Low NH3 and CH4 emissions were registered in spring (range 10–406 and 3–17 mg m−2 min−1, respectively) probably as a result of low pH values of stored slurry (6.5 to 7.0) and rainfall. High variability on NH3, CH4, and CO2 emissions was observed as a result of differences in temperature and rainfall. No NH3 emission and low CH4 and CO2 emissions were observed in autumn (average 1.2 ± 0.9 and 27 ± 22 mg m−2 min−1, respectively). Slurry loading operations increased NH3 losses from storage.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been funded by BATFARM Interreg-Atlantic Area Project (2009-1/071) entitled “Evaluation of best available techniques to decrease air and water pollution in animal farms”. Maialen Viguria holds a grant from the Ph.D. student’s research program of the Department of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Government. The authors are especially grateful to the farmer that provided agricultural infrastructure and to the University of the Basque Country for the computer facilities.

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  1. NEIKER-Tecnalia, Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Berreaga 1, Derio, 48160, Bizkaia, Spain

    Maialen Viguria, Diana M. López, Haritz Arriaga & Pilar Merino

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  1. Maialen Viguria
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  2. Diana M. López
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  3. Haritz Arriaga
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  4. Pilar Merino
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Correspondence to Pilar Merino.

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Viguria, M., López, D.M., Arriaga, H. et al. Ammonia and Greenhouse Gases Emission from On-Farm Stored Pig Slurry. Water Air Soil Pollut 226, 285 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2548-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2548-6

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