Managing Ammonia in Managing Ammonia in AgricultureAgriculture

USDA Research EffortsUSDA Research Efforts

USDA ResearchUSDA Research

Emissions from Livestock ProductionEmissions from Livestock Production– BuildingsBuildings– Manure StorageManure Storage– Manure ApplicationManure Application

Emissions from Crop ProductionEmissions from Crop Production– Fertilizer ApplicationFertilizer Application– Crop release and uptakeCrop release and uptake

USDA Research PartnersUSDA Research Partners

Agricultural Research ServiceAgricultural Research Service

Cooperative States Research, Cooperative States Research, Education, and Extension ServiceEducation, and Extension Service

Land Grant UniversitiesLand Grant Universities

Research PartnersResearch Partners

Emissions from Livestock Emissions from Livestock Production SystemsProduction Systems

Complexities of Agricultural Complexities of Agricultural SystemsSystems

ShapeShape

SizeSize

Position on the landscapePosition on the landscape

Meteorological conditions Meteorological conditions surrounding the site (daily and surrounding the site (daily and seasonal)seasonal)

Landscape Positions of Landscape Positions of BuildingsBuildings

Measurement MethodsMeasurement Methods

Nitrogen mass balanceNitrogen mass balance

Flux chambersFlux chambers

Micrometeorological methodsMicrometeorological methods

Chemiluminescence Chemiluminescence Ammonia AnalyzerAmmonia Analyzer

Detects NHDetects NH33 down to 2 ppb down to 2 ppb

Cost - $17,000Cost - $17,000

Barn B1 NH3 Concentration (ppm)

0

5

10

15

20

74.8 75 75.2 75.4 75.6 75.8 76 76.2

J ulian Day

Loc 1

Loc 2

Loc 3

Loc 4

Loc 5

Loc 6

Open-Path FTIR Measurement System for Hog Waste Lagoon

Instrumentation Instrumentation ComparisonsComparisons

Joint project with USDA, EPA, and Joint project with USDA, EPA, and BattelleBattelle

Comparison of ammonia instruments Comparison of ammonia instruments around swine confinement and beef around swine confinement and beef feedlotfeedlot

Comparison of 8 different Comparison of 8 different instruments over a 2-month periodinstruments over a 2-month period

Air Flow MeasurementsAir Flow Measurements

Emission RatesEmission Rates

Need to define emission rates to Need to define emission rates to determine the loading rate from a determine the loading rate from a facilityfacility

Need to define emission rates in Need to define emission rates in order to evaluate the effectiveness of order to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment or management treatment or management techniquestechniques

Agricultural livestock emission factorsAgricultural livestock emission factorsaa

Composite emission factor (kg of % of composite emission factorCategory NH3/head-year)b Housing Storage Spreading Grazing

CattleCattle 22.922.9 2121 99 5151 1919

HogsHogs 9.219.21 3434 1414 5252 00

PoultryPoultry 0.1790.179 4040 00 6060 00

aaMcCubbin et al., 2002. Environ. Sci. Technol. 36:1141-1146.McCubbin et al., 2002. Environ. Sci. Technol. 36:1141-1146.

bbComposite emission factors are from Battye et al. (1994). Percentages attributed to each subcategory are based on breakdowns from Asman et al. (1992).

Variation in Emission RatesVariation in Emission Rates

AmmoniaAmmonia– 3.6-42 g/d-pig place (swine)3.6-42 g/d-pig place (swine)

Beef FeedlotBeef Feedlot

OdorsNH3 Dust

N, C, H2O, pH

Decrease atmospheric losses Quantify losses Modify diets & management Effectively manage manure

Ammonia Emission FactorsAmmonia Emission Factors

AnimalAnimal EmissionEmission

Kg NHKg NH33 yr yr-1-1 an an-1-1

RangeRange

PigPig 4.94.9 2.3 – 7.62.3 – 7.6

< 54 kg (US)< 54 kg (US) 6.986.98 0 – 6.980 – 6.98

>54 kg (US) >54 kg (US) 6.986.98 6.98 - 116.98 - 11

PoultryPoultry 0.220.22 0.18 – 0.240.18 – 0.24

DairyDairy 21.021.0 18.8 – 23.518.8 – 23.5

Ammonia Emissions-Ammonia Emissions-BuildingsBuildings

SpeciesSpecies RangeRange

g NHg NH33 h h-1-1 AU AU-1-1

PigsPigs 0.2 – 5.00.2 – 5.0

Dairy CattleDairy Cattle 0.12 – 1.480.12 – 1.48

Beef CattleBeef Cattle 0.28 – 0.740.28 – 0.74

PoultryPoultry 0.5 – 10.00.5 – 10.0

1 Animal Unit = 500 kg live weight

Experimental Study on Experimental Study on Ammonia ReleaseAmmonia Release

16 m 16 m 1 m

6 m

12 m

Ammonia Emissions Ammonia Emissions

DOY 155-160

Day of Year

155 156 157 158 159 160 161

Am

mon

ia C

once

ntra

tion

(ppb

)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

14001 m at 16 m 1 m at 33 m 6 m at 33 m 12 m at 33 m

Ammonia EmissionsAmmonia Emissions

DOY 246-253

Day of Year

246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253

Am

mon

ia C

once

ntra

tion

(ppb

)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1 m at 16 m1 m at 33 m6 m at 33 m12 m at 33 m

Buildings and Manure Removal

Manure Storage SystemsManure Storage Systems

Ammonia Emissions-StorageAmmonia Emissions-Storage

Manure Storage TypeManure Storage Type EmissionEmission

Kg NHKg NH33 ha ha-1-1 day day-1-1

LagoonsLagoons 0.25 - 1560.25 - 156

Storage TanksStorage Tanks 3 - 903 - 90

Emissions from Manure Emissions from Manure StorageStorage

EmissionEmission Deep PitDeep Pit Earthen Earthen StorageStorage

Lagoons Lagoons w/o photo w/o photo

bloombloom

Lagoons w/Lagoons w/

Photo Photo bloombloom

AmmoniaAmmonia

Kg/site/dKg/site/d

102102 142142 233233 369369

MethaneMethane

Kg/site/dKg/site/d

5353 123123 466466 831831

HH22SS

Kg/site/dKg/site/d

0.60.6 0.90.9 0.70.7 1.01.0

VOCVOC

Kg/site/dKg/site/d

8.68.6 23.223.2 3.43.4 0.90.9

Priority Priority pollutantpollutant

1.61.6 2.12.1 1.21.2 1.21.2

Emission Measurements during Manure

Application

Energy Exchanges

Ammonia sampler

Evaluation of Dispersion Evaluation of Dispersion Methods and ModelsMethods and Models

Atmospheric DispersionAtmospheric Dispersion

Factors Affecting Ammonia Factors Affecting Ammonia VolatilizationVolatilization

TAN concentrationTAN concentrationpHpHTemperatureTemperatureWindspeedWindspeedChemical activityChemical activityMicrobiological activityMicrobiological activityDiffusive and convective transportDiffusive and convective transportGas phase resistanceGas phase resistance

Ammonia Volatilization during Ammonia Volatilization during Crop SenescenceCrop Senescence

Corn Field in Central Iowa

Measurements throughout the season

Full energy balance and plant growth measurements

Ammonia Volatilization during Ammonia Volatilization during Crop GrowthCrop Growth

Corn Field in Central Iowa

Measurements throughout the season

Full energy balance and plant growth measurements

Coupled water, carbon dioxide, and ammonia measurements

Crop Emission and UptakeCrop Emission and Uptake

Research studies on ammonia Research studies on ammonia volatilization and uptake from corn volatilization and uptake from corn and wheat crops and wheat crops

Ammonia deposition onto crops and Ammonia deposition onto crops and rangeland in areas surrounding beef rangeland in areas surrounding beef feedlotsfeedlots

Research StudiesResearch Studies

Encompass a number of speciesEncompass a number of species– BeefBeef– DairyDairy– PoultryPoultry– SwineSwine

Encompass a range of production Encompass a range of production systems across a wide geographical systems across a wide geographical areaarea

Encompass complete growing seasonEncompass complete growing season

ChallengesChallenges

Quantify the emission rates through Quantify the emission rates through combined concentration and flux combined concentration and flux methodsmethods

Compare emission rates across a Compare emission rates across a range of facilities and agricultural range of facilities and agricultural practicespractices

Develop an understanding of why Develop an understanding of why and how the emission rates vary and how the emission rates vary within and among systemswithin and among systems

Addressing these Addressing these ChallengesChallenges

Requires good methods to measure Requires good methods to measure the concentration of ammonia in the the concentration of ammonia in the atmosphereatmosphere

Requires a good methodology to Requires a good methodology to estimate the total emission from a estimate the total emission from a facility that links flux through a given facility that links flux through a given area and concentrationarea and concentration

USDA ResearchUSDA Research

Multi-faceted to cover a range of Multi-faceted to cover a range of species and production systemsspecies and production systems

Directed toward quantifying the Directed toward quantifying the emission rates of ammoniaemission rates of ammonia

Focused on being able to evaluate Focused on being able to evaluate treatment technologies that reduce treatment technologies that reduce ammonia emissionammonia emission