Controlling swine odor with windbreaks
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Emissions of malodor from swine facilities are an increasing environmental concern for the swine producers and nearby local communities. Use of natural windbreaks for odor abatement is recent and the science in support of using windbreaks for this purpose is limited. To provide sound science to the study of windbreaks and odor control, the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry initiated a study in 2007 to evaluate the effects of windbreaks on transport of odors. A 3-row windbreak configuration was implemented consisting of pitch-loblolly pine (Pinus rigida_P. taeda), a conifer, on the inside row closest to the farrowing house; red maple (Acer rubrum) alternating with pin oak (Quercus palustris) a deciduous hardwood species that retains many of its leaves throughout much of the winter, as the middle row and; Viburnum 'Allegheny' (Viburnum rhytidophyllum X V. lantana), a semi-evergreen shrub that quickly reaches heights of 10 to 15 feet, as the outside row. Before the windbreak takes effect, air samples are being taken at varying distances from the facility (up to a mile radius) to monitor the baseline background concentrations of odorous gasses including ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulates. The spatial distribution and temporal variation in concentrations of these malodorous compounds have been characterized and mapped. This baseline information will be used for evaluating the impact of the windbreak on odor concentrations and movement over time.