Abstract
Until recently, little attention has been given to the loss of nutrients that may occur in stormwater runoff from poultry houses. Dust emitted from poultry house fans and deposited near the fans has been shown to contain similar amounts of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) as in poultry litter, thus, there is need for information on the potential of runoff to transport deposited dust off-site. The objectives of this study are to quantify P and N in simulated rainfall-runoff from sites immediately adjacent to fans (sidewall and tunnel) from a commercial poultry house in northwest Arkansas. Runoff from fan plots range in total P (TP) and total N (TN) concentration from 1.0 to 26.0 mg∙L−1 and from 5.1 to 189 mg∙L−1. The concentration of P and N in runoff from plots adjacent to sidewall fans is significantly lower (P < 0.05) during warmer (June to August; 1 and 2 mg∙L−1 for TP and TN, respectively) than cooler months (November through March; 3 and 7 mg∙L−1 for TP and TN, respectively). In contrast, TP and TN concentrations of runoff from tunnel fan plots are significantly greater (P < 0.05) during warm (14 and 170 mg∙L−1, respectively) than cool months (5 and 60 mg∙L−1, respectively). The results of this research indicate that conservation practices are needed around poultry production houses to minimize the potential for runoff of nutrients in emitted dust entering nearby surface waters. * Corresponding author.
Highlights
In 1996, over half of surveyed waters in the U.S were nutrient impaired [1]
Tunnel fan use is greater during warm weather and each tunnel fan (34,000 m3 min−1) exhausts air at an appreciably greater rate than a sidewall fan (20,400 m3∙min−1), resulting in more dust being exhausted from the house via tunnel than sidewall ventilation fans
The volume of air exhausted from house #4 by sidewall fans sidewall fans 1 (S1), S2, S3, and S4 and tunnel fans T1, T2, T3, and T4 were determined from in house electricity use records over 2012 and 2013 (Figure 3)
Summary
In 1996, over half of surveyed waters in the U.S were nutrient impaired [1]. Nearly 20 years later, nutrient enrichment remains a major impairment to designated uses of fresh and coastal waters of the U.S [2] [3], which have led to major initiatives to reduce nutrient losses from major watersheds, such as the Chesapeake Bay Watershed [4] and Mississippi River Basin [5]. With the backdrop of ongoing litigation between Oklahoma and poultry integrators headquartered in northwest Arkansas [8] [9], Region 6 USEPA (i.e., Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) sampled soils and standing water around poultry production facilities in the Illinois River Watershed in northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma in 2010 through 2013. The results of these inspections are used to encourage independent producers to implement management strategies to reduce nutrient runoff from their facilities [10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
