Emission of harmful gases from animal production in Poland

Kamila Mazur,Kinga Borek,Kamil Roman,Witold Jan Wardal,Marek Kierończyk,Jan Barwicki

doi:10.1007/s10661-021-09118-7

Abstract

The aim of the study was to present the scale of greenhouse gas emissions from animal production, and to provide test results from different housing systems. In three free stall buildings, two with slurry in deep channels and one with cattle in cubicles staying on shallow litter concentration of ammonia and carbon dioxide were measured in summer season by using dedicated equipment from Industrial Scientific Research. Air exchange was calculated on the base of balance carbon dioxide method. This method was used in order to estimate the air flow rate. Concentrations of ammonia and CO2 were measured as the base for air exchange and ammonia emission rates. Ammonia emissions were product of ammonia concentration and air exchange rate. Temperature and relative humidity were measured to establish microclimate conditions in buildings tested to show the overall microclimatic situation in buildings. Differences between ammonia emission rates were observed in both housing systems. The highest ammonia emission rate was equal to 2.75 g·h−1·LU−1 in well-ventilated cattle barn with the largest herd size.

Highlights

Milk and meat production are balanced with an environmental and animal welfare conditions to minimize negative influence for the environment
A similar situation was described by Zhang who tested ammonia emissions from 11 types of cattle barns, with different floor and manure removing systems and the highest emission was in non-littered cattle barns (Zhang et al, 2005)
It is known from other research tests that ammonia emission from cattle barn with the solid floor was about 50% lower than emission from buildings with the slatted floor (Swierstra et al, 1995)

Summary

Introduction

Milk and meat production are balanced with an environmental and animal welfare conditions to minimize negative influence for the environment. Major amount of nitrogen are leaching from livestock production to the environment. Agriculture is a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHG) (Roman et al, 2019). In 2015, the EU agricultural sector emitted 3751 kt of ammonia and was responsible for 94% of total ammonia emissions (Crippa et al, 2018; EUROSTAT, 2020). Poland is one of the most important contributors to nitrogen atmospheric emissions in the Baltic Sea Region (EUROSTAT, 2020). Significant amounts of harmful ammonia gas are derived from livestock production. Cattle are responsible for 70% of total greenhouse gas emissions (Philippe & Nicks, 2015)

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Conclusion