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CH 4 emissions from a fattening pig barn without (Reference) and with acidification of slurry (Acidification) during the entire fattening period in 'Spring' (March to May 2020; phase Start lasted only 7 days, slurry pH 5.5 only in phase End), 'Summer I' (June to September 2020) and 'Summer II' (June to September 2021). *** indicates significant differences (p < 0.001) between the variants within a fattening pig period.
Source publication
Livestock farming, and in particular slurry management, is a major contributor to ammonia (NH3) and methane (CH4) emissions in Europe. Furthermore, reduced NH3 and CH4 emissions are also relevant in licensing procedures and the management of livestock buildings. Therefore, the aim is to keep emissions from the barn as low as possible. Acidification...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... reduced the CH 4 emissions from the slurry stored in the barn ('Spring': 55%, 'Summer I': 65%, 'Summer II': 80%) (Fig. 2). Petersen et al. (2016) showed a 50% reduction in CH 4 emissions in one fattening period in spring, which is similar to our results. Although the acidified slurry was separated and only the liquid phase was returned in the barn, Jonassen and Holm (2016) observed a reduction of just 34% in CH 4 ...
Context 2
... additional impact that slurry agitation may have had on reducing CH 4 emissions in the acidification compartment remains unclear because acidification and agitation were necessarily done together. However, agitation of the slurry in the acidification compartment does not lead to an expelling of methane and associated higher concentrations in the barn air, as it is observed when the slurry is stirred up in conventional barns ( Ebertz et al., 2021;Husted, 1993;Park and Wagner-Riddle, 2010) or storage tanks (VanderZaag et al., 2009). ...
Similar publications
Animal slurry (liquid manure) is a significant source of air pollution. Because the biological and chemical processes that drive emission are sensitive to temperature, there is a need for simple tools that can be used to predict the temperature of stored animal slurry for both emissions inventories and research. In this contribution we describe a h...
Citations
... methane (CH 4 ) (Petersen et al., 2012). H 2 SO 4 acidification has been implemented at farm scale for the acidification of the in-house pit slurry and full-scale slurry storage tank, with the added acid well mixed with the slurry to reach an initial slurry pH of 5.0-5.5, and the NH 3 mitigation efficiencies were found to be 39 % and 67 %, respectively (Overmeyer et al., 2023;Lemes et al., 2022). But its use in lagoon storage was not found due to the operation obstacle in the large volume of slurry. ...
... For instance, Sáez et al. [136] showed that composting the solid part of manure by utilizing a passive windrow system and aeration of the liquid phase effectively reduces GHG emissions. Acidification of slurry with sulfuric acid in the barn or at the time of application is an effective manure management method that can reduce ammonia losses and methane emissions [126,129,[137][138][139]. Of the manure management practices, using anaerobic digestion in Table 3 Livestock-based farming practices and technologies categories with their potential contribution to CSA outcomes. ...
The aim of this review was to provide an overview of existing farming practices and technologies in Europe by assessing their contribution to climate-smart agricultural (CSA) outcomes. Following the PRISMA protocol, 110 final selected studies were scrutinized. Altogether 74 different practices and technologies were identified. Using an inductive approach, the identified practices and technologies were categorized, and their potential contribution towards contextualized CSA outcomes—productivity, resilience, GHG mitigation, biodiversity improvement, animal welfare support, water and energy use efficiency—was assessed. Among CSA farming practices, this review highlighted legume-based cover crops, crop rotation, intercropping, and crop diversification as having promising potential to achieve CSA outcomes. Among CSA technologies, precision fertilization, crop protection, and irrigation showed promising potential. Moreover, pasture grazing, legume-based feed additives, improved forage production and holistic husbandry management with precision technologies were identified as promising contributors to CSA outcomes. The review emphasizes that the utilization of smart farming technologies and practices in crop and livestock production systems could positively contribute to achieving one or more outcomes. Overall, the GHG mitigation and farm productivity improvement outcomes were relatively well covered in the reviewed literature. Improvements in biodiversity, water and energy use efficiency, and animal welfare outcomes are not well demonstrated within the identified studies.
... However, other authors do not attribute this to the lower pH value but to the associated increase in free protonated fatty acids in the slurry. These have an inhibitory effect on microbial activity [34]. The optimal methane production through anaerobic digestion of pig slurry typically falls between 6.5 and 7.5 [35]. ...
... Lowering the slurry pH reduces CH 4 emission, but the mechanism of this inhibition is not completely understood. Other studies have demonstrated that acidification could only reduce emissions by 67% [34], while a common practice of lowering the pH to 5.5 with H 2 SO 4 resulted in a CH 4 reduction of 63-99% [17]. A reduction in CH 4 was also detected in our research on acidified slurry, which is similar to previous studies [40,41]. ...
... A reduction in CH 4 was also detected in our research on acidified slurry, which is similar to previous studies [40,41]. Various acids, such as sulfuric acid [16,42,43], acetic acid, lactic acid [16,42,44], hydrochloric acid [34,42], or citric acid [16,44], have been investigated in various previous studies. However, both the cost of sulfuric acid and the amount of it required are very low compared to the other acids [43], and this was the reason why sulfuric acid was chosen for our study, since the results will be taken into account for the management of pig slurry by different farmers. ...
This study addresses the challenge of mitigating ammonia and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stored pig slurry using chemical and biological additives. The research employs dynamic chambers to evaluate the effectiveness of these additives. Chemical agents (sulfuric acid) and biological additives (DAB bacteria) containing specific microbial strains are tested (a mixture of Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis, Nitrosomona europea, Nictobacter winogradaskyi, and nutritional substrate). Controlled experiments simulate storage conditions and measure emissions of ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide. Through statistical analysis of the results, this study evaluates the additives’ impact on emission reduction. Sulfuric acid demonstrated a reduction of 92% in CH4, 99% in CO2, and 99% in NH3 emissions. In contrast, the biological additives showed a lesser impact on CH4, with an 8% reduction, but more substantial reductions of 71% for CO2 and 77% for NH3.These results shed light on the feasibility of employing these additives to mitigate environmental impacts in pig slurry management and contribute to sustainable livestock practices by proposing strategies to reduce the ecological consequences of intensive animal farming.
... Despite technological advancement, environmental conditions inside the CCH are not 100% controlled. Factors not limited to building design, model of ventilation equipment, software, sensors accuracy, knowledge and skill of the farmers, slurry pit management, and seasons can influence the environmental conditions of the house [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. The house environment is usually controlled and manipulated based on the ambient temperature through automatic adjustment of the ventilation rate [11]. ...
... Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 12 September 2023 doi:10.20944/preprints202309.0695.v18 ...
This study aimed to assess the feasibility of employing audio and vision technologies as an integrated monitoring system to monitor the health and behavior of pigs under different environmental conditions and to associate these factors. A total of 81 growing pigs ((Landrace x Largewhite) x Duroc) with distinct weight categories (10.47 ± 2.57 kg and 28.81 ± 5.03 kg) were distributed into two distinct housing conditions: Control (characterized by low NH3 levels and low stocking density) and Treatment (marked by elevated NH3 levels and varying stocking densities). Each house was installed with a SoundTalks monitor for automated daily evaluation of respiratory health status (ReHS), and a camera with a microphone to facilitate manual tracking of respiratory symptoms and behavioral patterns. Results showed that the Treatment group encountered significantly high room temperature, NH3 concentration, and carbon dioxide levels, resulting in compromised growth performance—a phenomenon further exacerbated in high stocking density conditions. Pigs within the treatment exhibited increases (p < 0.05) in lateral and total lying behaviors, and incidences of ear and tail injuries, increases screaming frequency, conjunctivitis incidences, coughing frequency, elevated respiration rates, and a decrease in ReHS. The environmental conditions affect the behavior and health of the pigs. Moreover, the behavioral patterns of the pigs are associated with their health conditions. The SoundTalks system did not trigger any warnings during the experimental period. Nevertheless, trend analysis indicated a significant reduction in respiratory health in the treatment. In conclusion, this study underscores the efficacy of merging audio and visual technologies to holistically monitor pig health and behavior, enabling enhanced management strategies. Findings emphasize that monitoring the ReHS trend serves as a pivotal marker for identifying respiratory health problems, complementing the system's innate alarm functions.
... In pig production facilities with liquid manure systems, the most dominating greenhouse gas is methane where approximately one-third is originating from enteric fermentation and two-thirds from manure (Monteny et al., 2006). Abatement technologies such as air cleaners (Van der Heyden et al., 2015) and slurry acidification (Overmeyer et al., 2023;;Petersen et al., 2016) can be used to lower emissions, but these methods can be very costly. An alternative to abatement technologies is to consider the farrowing pen design and the interaction with the manure system to achieve a cost-efficient emission reduction. ...
In the development and implementation of housing systems for pigs, there has been a significant focus on pig welfare including loose housing of lactating sows either indoors or outdoors. However, it is equally important to consider the environmental and economic aspects of housing systems to ensure sustainability in livestock production. The aim of this work was to review the sustainability (societal and animal welfare, environmental and economic impact) of different approaches for housing farrowing and lactating sows in indoor environments. The review illustrates that like outdoor systems, indoor housing systems are challenged in meeting the three pillars of sustainability when changing the housing of lactating sows from conventional crates with permanent confinement to systems with temporary or zero-confinement. Increased space allowance increases sow welfare, but in addition, pen designs with increased space increase ammonia emission, investment and running costs. Furthermore, indoor loose lactation systems come with an increased risk for piglet mortality, which unless effectively managed, reduces animal welfare and the economic sustainability of the system. If farms retrofit existing buildings, the larger space per loose farrowing pen leads to a reduction in pen numbers and therefore herd size, reducing the farm profitability. If farmers choose to reduce herd size to meet requirements, welfare will be reduced while emissions will be increased as more sows are brought into production again in other countries, often in conventional systems with fully slatted flooring, to meet the demand for animal protein to feed the growing global population. The review indicates there are ways to house lactating sows loose indoors with increased opportunity to perform highly motivated species-specific behaviours compared to the conventional crates with continuous confinement. These systems can offer a lower risk for environmental impact and economic risk through reducing piglet mortality. Nevertheless, a trade-off for continual freedom of sow movement may be required as zero-confinement increases the risk of piglet mortality and increased emissions. It is important to raise awareness among citizens and policy makers that loose farrowing and lactating systems if applied today, come with a higher production cost and the risk of increased environmental impact. More research and development is needed in relation to the environmental and economic impact of these systems in order to give farmers the best information to invest in new and more sustainable production systems.
... In addition, adaptations for measuring were only possible to a limited extent. Measuring fans are frequently used technologies to determine air flow rates, especially in the field of emission measurements of barn buildings [58,79,80]. Another applied technology is the Fan Assessment Numeration System (FANS) for in situ measurements of the actual air flow rates to determine emission mass flow rates [81][82][83][84]. ...
Pig farming in mechanically ventilated barns requires much electricity for ventilation or exhaust air purification. Furthermore, thermal energy is needed to fulfill the animals' temperature requirements, especially in piglet rearing. Electrical and thermal energy input leads to CO2 emissions and operating costs. Up to 90% of heat losses are due to the exhausted air. Heat exchangers can recover thermal energy from the warm exhaust air and transfer it to the cold fresh air. This study aimed to investigate energy consumption, efficiency, CO2 emissions, and energy costs when using heat exchangers in a German piglet rearing barn under practical conditions in combination with exhaust air purification. The following parameters were obtained for a two-year period: air temperatures , air flow rates, and electricity and liquefied natural gas consumption; the latter were used to calculate CO2 emissions and energy costs. In total, 576,042 kWhel,th and 616,893 kWhel,th (years 1 and 2) of energy were provided, including 290,414 kWhth and 317,913 kWhth of thermal energy recovered. Using heat exchangers reduced CO2 emissions by up to 37.5% and energy costs by up to 19.7% per year. The study shows that piglet rearing can increase its ecological and environmental sustainability by using heat recovery.
To meet global food demands sustainably, it is necessary to safeguard finite natural resources and reduce harmful emissions to the environment. Nutrients in biowastes are often not managed appropriately. Instead, they can be recovered, recycled into bio-based fertilizers (BBFs) and reincorporated into food production systems. This review addresses three critical issues for developing and adopting new BBFs, focusing on the European context: (1) BBFs should match the agronomic efficiency of mineral fertilizers. We propose that the agronomic efficiency of BBFs can be increased through pre-treating the inputs in biowaste transformation processes (e.g., anaerobic digestion), chemical treatments of existing BBFs, organo-mineral combinations, and soil placement strategies. (2) Production and use of new BBFs is not free of environmental impacts, and these are influenced by regional conditions. (3) Public perception and end-user preferences play a significant role in the adoption of BBFs. Therefore, it is vital to address the requirements of end-users of BBFs. Our findings indicate that for widespread adoption, BBFs need sufficient and reliable nutrient amounts and crop-adequate ratios, as well as competitive pricing. A key advantage of BBFs over mineral fertilizers is their ability to improve soil fertility. However, farmers also require fertilizers that can be handled and applied with existing machinery and offer the practicality of commercial products. Another important aspect is the willingness of consumers to buy products fertilized with BBFs. Designing and promoting BBFs requires a careful assessment of environmental impacts and regional conditions, as the sustainability of BBFs depends on factors like energy sources and biowaste transport distances. Ultimately, the goal is to promote a circular economy and not just to substitute mineral fertilizers with new products. This review aims to guide researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders by highlighting key innovations and addressing critical barriers.
