Partial Biofiltration of Swine Exhaust Air to Maximize Odor Reduction Potential

Kevin Janni, Professor and Head
Larry Jacobson, Professor
David Schmidt, Assistant Extension Engineer

Funding Source

Minnesota Pork Board

Objective

To monitor emissions of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and odor from a biofiltered barn using a critical minimum pit ventilating rate (45 cfm/pig) and to compare these emissions from an identical on-site barn with the traditional minimum pit ventilating rate (25 cfm/pig) and provide design recommendations for critical minimum biofiltration strategies.

Need or Impact

The information obtained in this study will be helpful when providing biofilter design recommendations in animal buildings to livestock producers to maximize their odor reduction from potential control treatment technologies like biofilters.

Project Status

The results of this short-term study indicate that additional pit ventilation capacity has little impact on pit fan emissions of NH3, H2S, and odor and did not improve the barn’s indoor air quality. Further research is needed to determine the minimum amount of pit ventilation required to maintain a majority of the NH3, H2S, and odor emissions in the pit exhaust stream. This would allow producers to minimize the size of “catch and treat” control technologies like biofilters and their installation and operating costs.