Validation of Odor Dispersion Modeling for Siting Livestock and Poultry Production Systems

Larry Jacobson, Professor
Mark Seeley, Professor, Soil, Water, and Climate
Steven Hoff, Professor, Iowa State University
Dennis Schulte, Professor, University of Nebraska

Funding Source

National Research Initiative (NRI), CSREES/USDA

Objectives

Compare and standardize ambient odor measurement methods from animal production systems for atmospheric dispersion models. Incorporate existing odor dispersion modeling techniques into a consistent tool capable of handling multiple receptors and localized weather and terrain. Also disseminate this information to stakeholders.

Need or Impact

There is a great need for model development and validation in order to provide rural communities and the livestock and poultry industries with the tools needed to incorporate science and objectivity into the odor management decision-making process.

Project Status

Odor emission data from four pig finishing barns in central Iowa were used to validate several odor models, namely the Minnesota OFFSET model and the Nebraska Odor Footprint tool. These models are presently being introduced to stakeholders in their appropriate states and have been accepted to varying degrees by local and state regulators for siting animal production operations.