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Swine Odor Control Proving Center
evaluates processes and practices
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[DEC.
11, 2003]
URBANA --
Several processes and practices aimed
at reducing swine odor and enhancing manure management were
evaluated in a University of Illinois project, the Illinois Swine
Odor Control Proving Center. The research was led by Yuanhui Zhang,
a professor of bioenvironmental engineering in the Department of
Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
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This research was funded by the state
of Illinois through the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural
Research. The work was part of a $6 million project on swine odor
and waste management. Reports from several studies in the C-FAR
initiative will be presented Dec. 11-12 at the University of
Illinois Pork Industry Conference in Champaign. People interested in
attending or getting more information should contact Gilbert Hollis
at (217) 333-0013 or
hollisg@uiuc.edu.
"We carried out several projects in
connection with the proving center," Zhang explained. "These
included evaluation of cleaning methods, a wet scrubber, methods for
reducing ammonia emissions and waste lagoon covers." One project
sought to optimize operating conditions for a process that treats
liquid manure at high pressure and high temperature to produce oil
and a charlike solid, both low-odor products.
"We demonstrated that the process has a
high conversion efficiency and potential for further development
into commercial products," said Zhang.
Zhang also looked at two types of
covers for waste lagoons. A positive pressure cover, which is
inflated over the lagoon, was effective at reducing emissions but
proved difficult to construct and maintain.
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"A negative pressure cover, which is
kept in contact with the slurry surface by drawing a continuous low
volume of air from beneath the cover, was effective at reducing
emissions from the lagoon and was structurally sound," he said.
The study indicated that frequent
cleaning of swine production facilities did reduce ammonia
concentration, odor intensity and sulfur volatile organic compound
concentration. However, dust and total sulfur volatile organic
compound concentrations were not influenced by daily washing.
"Furthermore, growth performance of
pigs was negatively affected by washing the production room," Zhang
said. "Daily and careful washing may lower odor emissions in swine
facilities, but further research is needed to evaluate other washing
methods that will not negatively affect pig performance."
Zhang also
tested three different types of devices for removing dust and odor
from swine barns, including an aerodynamic de-duster. These tests,
he said, produced a practical model for retrofitting hog houses.
[University
of Illinois news release]
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