Odor, Gas Emissions Reduced at Hog Farms

April 16, 2001

Manure storage pit additive products were evaluated extensively at the Purdue University Agricultural Engineering Laboratory in research that tested 35 pit additives for hog operations for effects on odor, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gas emissions as well as the fertilizer value of the manure.

Vendors voluntarily submitted products to participate in the study. Hydrogen sulfide and ammonia were measured daily throughout each of three 42-day testing periods. All product results were compared to the untreated manure results.

With 95% certainty, seven products reduced hydrogen sulfide emissions and eight reduced ammonia emissions. Two of the products that reduced hydrogen sulfide also reduced ammonia. With 75% certainty, four products reduced odor, three reduced hydrogen sulfide and four reduced ammonia. Three of the odor-reducing products also reduced hydrogen sulfide. The fourth odor-reducing product also reduced ammonia.

Money from the pork promotion and research board funded the study as part of the industry's ongoing Odor Solutions Initiative (OSI) designed to help producers make decisions about using products to curb odor. "With increased environmental regulation, it's more important than ever for all hog producers to use this type of research to narrow the choices of products," said National Pork Board President John Kellogg, a pork producer from Yorkville, IL.

The research report serves as a producer reference tool. When approached by a vendor or considering the use of an additive, the producer will find valuable information from the project results to form a decision. The 200-page report has a summary for each product, including a manufacturer/marketer product description, method and rate of application to the manure storage pits, any unique application directions needed to calculate the amount of product to be applied and the current retail price. There are descriptions of each product and its activity as compared to untreated manure columns.

To read the full report, go to the Internet address www.porkboard.org and find the "Especially for Producers" section marked "OSI RESULTS: Manure Pit Additive Testing."