Project Number: 5368-12630-002-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 25, 2003
End Date: Sep 24, 2008

Objective:
Evaluate and develop animal manure handling systems to reduce gaseous emissions. Confined animal feeding operations are seriously being considered for regulation under national air quality rules. Recently, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the US-EPA and the Idaho United Dairymen Association entered into an agreement that mandates a dairy implement approved practices if the dairy emits more than 100 tons of gaseous ammonia per year. Even with a conservative 50% loss estimate of the nitrogen excreted, a 1000-milking cow dairy would exceed the 100 ton limit. Significant amounts of ammonia emissions are widely known to occur from concentrated animal feeding operations. Information is lacking on losses from specific operations or areas of either open-lot or free-stall dairy operations. In addition, the effectiveness of the approved management practices on ammonia emissions in western, arid climate production environments are not well-defined. An existing FTIR (open-path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy instrument is available that will characterize gaseous losses of ammonia, methane and nitrous oxide over space and time. The additional funds of $131,466 will fund the use of FTIR to identify gas emission point sources and to develop remedial management practices. The proposed project is a continuation of project number 5368-12630-002-01S.

Approach:
Land sites will be selected where application methods can be evaluated. Site preference will be somewhat dictated by the type of material and methods of application. Liquid dairy or swine lagoon and wet solid manure materials will be evaluated. In general, materials will be either surface applied (surface broadcast or overhead sprinkler) or incorporated by different methods and, where possible, in each of the four calendar seasons. Studies will measure gaseous emissions of ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide, and nitrous oxide following the different material/application treatments. Concentrations in the air stream up-stream and down-stream from the respective land treatments will be determined with an open-path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument. Standard gas sampling techniques and analyses protocols will be used to calibrate and validate the open-path FTIR data. Micrometerological instrumentation and methods will be used to estimate mass transport from data obtained by recording portable weather stations at each site. All measurements will be taken at appropriate time intervals over 24 hours for one to two weeks after each seasonal land application. Air transported particulates will be sampled up-stream and down-stream at each land application site. Pathogenic organisms associated with transported particulates or in the air stream will also be determined if time and resources permit. All materials being applied will be physical and chemically characterized with the proper methods. Data will be used to estimate gaseous emissions from each of the respective material application methods for each season. Time permitting in the two year study, gaseous emissions will be measured from sheds/houses/free-stalls, liquid lagoons, dry holding lots, and/or solid manure storage areas of representative dairies, beef or swine production facilities. Experimental protocols and instrumentation will be similar to that used in the land application studies. Extra precautions will be made to account for effects of buildings and other physical structures on air flow patterns and distribution. If possible, a nitrogen mass balance will be estimated for each component of each production system studied. Measurements will be taken in each of the four calendar seasons. Documents SCA with U. of Idaho. Formerly 5368-12000-005-05S (11/05).