Content area
Full text
Abstract
Broucek J., Cermák B.: Emission of harmful gases from poultry farms and possibilities of their reduction. Ekológia (Bratislava), Vol. 34, No. 1, p. 89-100, 2015.
This review is devoted to methodology that can help to assess emission of gases from poultry housings and could be used to expand the knowledge base of researchers, policymakers and farmers to maintain sustainable environment conditions for farming systems. Concentration and emission of ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide in poultry barns are discussed in this paper. Surveys of ammonia and greenhouse gases mean concentrations and emission factors in different poultry systems are showed. This paper is also gives the findings in emission mitigation, especially to different manure handling practices, management schemes, housing and facility designs for broilers and laying hens. Finally this paper focused on investigating practical means to reduce air emissions from animal production facilities.
Key words: poultry, emissions, ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, mitigation.
Introduction
The poultry farms can bring many pollution problems. Therefore, it is important to maintain optimal conditions for poultry production and also it should not impair the human and animal environment through emission of harmful gases. To be profitable, farmers must use the best practices and technological advances in order to achieve the most advantageous environment. The impact on the ecological systems may result from direct release of detrimental constituents into the atmosphere or indirect deposition of these constituents into ground water. The environment in the poultry housing is a combination of physical and biological factors which interact as a complex dynamic system of social interactions, husbandry system, light, temperature and the aerial environment (Hobbs et al., 2004). The high stocking density in the modern poultry barns may lead to reduced air quality with high concentrations of organic and inorganic dust, pathogens and other micro-organisms as well as harmful gases such as ammonia, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and methane (Ellen, 2005; Gates et al., 2008).
The production and emission of gases in poultry or any livestock facilities involve complex biological, physical and chemical processes. The rate of emission is influenced by many factors, such as diet composition and conversion efficiencies, manure handling practices and environmental conditions. The composition of poultry diet and the efficiency of its conversion...