One of the harmful substances produced by livestock manure is ammonia (NH3), which is emitted at a high rate. Additionally, NH3 reacts with sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere to produce fine particulate matter (PM2.5). However, the management and countermeasures for NH3 in livestock facilities were found to be inadequate. To establish effective measures, an NH3 emission factor that complies with certified methodologies is required. This study calculates the emission factor by monitoring NH3 concentration and ventilation between September 2022 and May 2023 in a mechanically-ventilated enclosed facility. The data measurement was performed in accordance with the VERA test protocol from Europe, and NH3 concentrations were monitored in real-time using photoacoustic spectroscopy measurement equipment. The average NH3 concentrations for Rooms 1, 2, and 3 during the entire period were measured at 0.96 ± 0.39 ppm, 1.20 ± 0.57 ppm, and 1.34 ± 0.71 ppm, respectively, with an overall average of approximately 1.17 ± 0.49 ppm. The average ventilation was recorded at 2,782.0 ± 1,510.4 m³/h, with an average internal temperature of 26.0 ± 1.5 °C and a relative humidity of 63.9 ± 5.2%. The average emission factor per room was calculated as 0.14 ± 0.03 g/day/pig for Room 1, 0.19 ± 0.07 g/day/pig for Room 2, and 0.15 ± 0.05 g/day/pig for Room 3. Ultimately, this study determined the average NH3 emission factor for the weaned pig facility to be 0.16 g/day/ pig.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of amino acid additives to weaned piglet diets on the pH and volatile fatty acids of pig slurries. A total of 135 weaned 22 -day-old piglets (Yorkshire x Landrace x Duroc) were used in this 56-d study. The three dietary treatments were as follows: (1) Control as a basal diet, (2) 1% amino acid additive and (3) 2% amino acid additive. Both pH and acetic acid values at 71 and 78 days were significantly different in all treatment groups (p<0.05). In addition, significant differences in propionic acid values were observed among treatment groups at 64 and 78 days (p<0.05). However, pH, acetic acid, and propionic acid values did not differ between 1% and 2% amino acid treatment groups. In conclusion, adding 1% and 2% amino acid to weaned piglet diets reduced the pH, acetic acid and propionic acid contents of pig slurries by acting as a probiotic. This may help formulate increase management strategies for improving the pig housing environment.