Search

The reduction of ammonia (NH3) emissions associated with manure management requires identification and implementation of effective techniques. The objective of this study was to measure potential ammonia emissions from animal manure and evaluate emission reductions for five mitigation techniques (straw, sawdust, clay, oil and sulphuric acid). Although numerous studies have evaluated individual mitigation techniques, the variability of their effect with different types of slurries has not been fully investigated. Furthermore, the assessment of ammonia emissions from the subsequent land application of stored manure (or slurry) using different techniques would indicate the practical consequences of the entire slurry management chain. The effects of mitigation techniques were evaluated using a model to simulate field application of slurry. Three techniques were compared: broadcast spreading, band spreading and closed-slot injection. Simulations utilised data from experiments conducted at a controlled temperature on six slurries of three different types: pig, cattle and digestate. Ammonia emissions from the raw slurries (i.e., untreated slurry) were determined using the dynamic chamber technique and compared with those from the slurries treated using each of five mitigation techniques. A subsample of one 1 L of each slurry was transferred into 2 L plastic bottles. An airflow of 1 L min-1 across the headspace was established and then emissions were measured over a period of 24 h. The air outlet was connected to two serial acids traps filled with 1% boric acid. The quantity of NH3 trapped was determined by titration. Acidification and oil addition were the most effective techniques, reducing ammonia emission from raw slurries by more than 95% and 80%, respectively. The mitigation effects of straw and sawdust were higher for cattle slurry and digestate than for pig slurry, while clay had an opposite effect. The overall assessment of ammonia emissions from storage and subsequent field application showed that acidification followed by closed-slot injection emitted at most 12% of the emissions from the reference system, while emissions from acidification followed by band spreading were between 14% and 22% of those from the reference system. The latter appears to be both more effective than broadcast spreading and technically more easily operated than a closed-slot injector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) is widely grown in the deserts. This herb is commercially used because it is rich in saponins and phenolic compounds with antioxidant effect. Y. schidigera or its derivatives are included as nontoxic food supplements, in cosmetics, and in the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins originated from Y. schidigera have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunostimulatory, growth promoter, hypocholesterolemic, and hypoglycemic effects. To date, the key role of Y. schidigera or its products in animal nutrition is to reduce the ammonia content in the atmosphere and fecal odor in poultry excreta. Mitigating ammonia by using this plant could be achieved by the modification of gut microbiota, enhancement in digestion, and absorption of nutrients, leading to a better growth and production performance of animals and poultry. Various methods were applied to mitigate the emission of odor from the litter by different strategies including biofilters, litter treatments, air scrubbers, neutralizing agents, windbreak walls, etc., but these techniques are expensive. This article provides a new insight to scientists and poultry breeders to use Y. schidigera plant or its products as inexpensive and safe sources of a feed supplement to overcome the ammonia and fecal odor problems, as well as reduce environmental pollution in poultry houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recommended that crop straw be returned to croplands to maintain or increase soil carbon (C) storage in arable soils. However, because C and nitrogen (N) biogeochemical cycles are closely coupled, straw return may also affect soil reactive N (Nr) losses, but these effects remain uncertain, especially in terms of the interactions between soil C sequestration and Nr losses under straw addition. Here, we conducted a global meta‐analysis using 363 publications to assess the overall effects of straw return on soil Nr losses, C sequestration and crop productivity in agroecosystems. Our results show that on average, compared to mineral N fertilization, straw return with same amount of mineral N fertilizer significantly increased soil organic C (SOC) content (14.9%), crop yield (5.1%), and crop N uptake (10.9%). Moreover, Nr losses in the form of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from rice paddies (17.3%), N leaching (8.7%), and runoff (25.6%) were significantly reduced, mainly due to enhanced microbial N immobilization. However, N2O emissions from upland fields (21.5%) and ammonia (NH3) emissions (17.0%) significantly increased following straw return, mainly due to the stimulation of nitrification/denitrification and soil urease activity. The increase in NH3 and N2O emissions was significantly and negatively correlated with straw C/N ratio and soil clay content. Regarding the interactions between C sequestration and Nr losses, the increase in SOC content following straw return was significantly and positively correlated with the decrease in N leaching and runoff. However, at a global scale, straw return increased net Nr losses from both rice and upland fields due to a greater stimulation of NH3 emissions than the reduction in N leaching and runoff. The trade‐offs between increased net Nr losses and soil C sequestration highlight the importance of reasonably managing straw return to soils to limit NH3 emissions without decreasing associated C sequestration potential. Straw return to croplands is widely recommended to increase soil C storage. However, because C and N cycles are tightly coupled, straw return also affects soil reactive N (Nr) losses, but these effects remain uncertain. Therefore, we use the method of meta‐analysis to address this knowledge gap. We found that straw return increased soil C sequestration, but simultaneously increased net Nr losses from global croplands due to greater stimulated NH3 emissions. This result highlights the importance of reasonably managing straw return to soils to limit NH3 emissions without decreasing associated C sequestration potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urea is not only the most important mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer worldwide, but it is also the mineral N fertilizer with one of the highest potential for ammonia (NH3) losses. The European emission inventory guidebook estimates an average loss of 16% of the applied urea as NH3. For mitigating NH3 losses from urea, the best option would be to immediately incorporate the fertilizer. However, the addition of a urease inhibitor (UI) represents a potent alternative. In a multi‐year experiment from 2002 to 2005, 17 measurement periods were conducted in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and on bare soil in Southern Germany to evaluate the extent of NH3 losses following the application of urea and to determine the mitigating effect of urease inhibitors. In all measurement periods, 80 kg N ha−1 as urea without or with the UI N‐(n‐butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (nBTPT) 0.3% w/w or N‐(isopropoxycarbonyl) phosphoric acid triamide (IPAT) 0.4% w/w were applied. For 6–24 d following fertilizer application, NH3 emissions were continuously measured using a dynamic chamber system. Generally, low NH3 emissions were detected from urea, varying between 0.1 and 2.7% of the N applied to winter wheat and between 2.6 and 16.3% of the N applied on bare soil. Addition of the UIs IPAT and nBTPT had a significant effect on the course of NH3 emissions and reduced losses on average by 32% and 24%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Nutrient flows in agricultural systems of three China's megacities were quantified. • Total nutrient loss decreased in Beijing and Shanghai, but increased in Chongqing. • High urbanization rates have led to decline in animal density and cropland. • Fertilizer/feed import, animal density and manure recycling affected nutrient loss. • Integrated management measures are suggested towards efficient use of resources. Abstract Urban expansion is a crucial process altering nutrient cycles in agro-ecosystems, often accompanied by negative impacts on the environment. Quantitative analysis of nutrient flows in agricultural systems of megacities and their interactions with urbanization is still lacking. This study reports on changing patterns in inputs, outputs, losses and cycling of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in agricultural systems in three of China's megacities–Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing during 1990–2014, using the substance flow analysis method. Results show that changing patterns of nutrient flows varied among cities. With rising urbanization rate in Chongqing, nutrients were increasingly imported to agricultural systems to sustain food demand, which led to increased nutrient losses. An opposite trend occurred in Beijing and Shanghai with high urbanization levels (over 80%) since the early 2000s, resulting from a decline in cropland and livestock numbers, and stricter enforcement of environmental laws. Mineral fertilizers and livestock husbandry both contributed largely to ammonia emissions from agriculture. Losses of nutrients to water bodies in Beijing were sourced mainly from the livestock sector, while derived from overuse of mineral fertilizers in Chongqing, suggesting that priority management practices need to be designed differently among regions. Increased intensity of nutrient losses from agriculture was significantly correlated with increased mineral fertilizer input, livestock density and feed import and with reduced recycling ratio of manure. Integrated management for better use of nutrients in fertilizers, feed and manure are urgently required at regional scales. Our findings can serve as basis for policy decisions for sustainable agricultural systems in megacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of tests performed on fly ash with a high content of ammonium (up to 400 ppm) from the NOx reduction process. The main properties of fly ash were tested according to EN 450-1 and the results were compared with fly ash without ammonium. The comparison showed that fly ash with high concentration of ammonium suits the requirements of the European standard. Although the requirements do not limit the ammonium content, using such material as an additive for cement composites causes the emission of gaseous ammonium during mixing and from the final product. For this reason, the emission of ammonium from mortars containing fly ash were tested. The results have shown that using high ammonium fly ash might pollute indoor air and affect the health of users.

Two campaigns measuring ammonia (NH3) emissions with different measurement techniques were performed on a large grass field (26 ha) after the application of liquid animal manure. The aim was to compare emissions from a confined area estimated from either (i) concentration measurements, both point and line-integrated measurements, combined with backward Lagrangian stochastic (bLS) dispersion modeling or by (ii) estimation of the vertical flux by the aerodynamic gradient method (AGM) with and without footprint correction approximated by the bLS model estimates of the flux footprint. The objective of the comparison is to establish the best practice to derive NH3 emissions from a large field. NH3 emissions derived from bLS agreed well when comparing point and line-integrated measurements. Simple point measurements combined with bLS yield good emission estimations for the confined area. Without footprint correction, the AGM underestimates the emissions by up to 9% compared to the footprint-corrected AGM results. The sensitivity of the measurement methods makes it possible to quantify NH3 emissions with diurnal patterns even five days after a field application of liquid animal manure under wet conditions. The bLS model proves to be a strong tool to determine the NH3 emissions from point concentration measurements inside a large field after a slurry application.

The quantification of atmospheric gases with small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) is expanding the ability to safely perform environmental monitoring tasks and quickly evaluate the impact of technologies. In this work, a calibrated sUAS is used to quantify the emissions of ammonia (NH3) gas from the exit stack a 0.1 MWth pilot-scale carbon capture system (CCS) employing a 5 M monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent to scrub CO2 from coal combustion flue gas. A comparison of the results using the sUAS against the ion chromatography technique with the EPA CTM-027 method for the standard emission sampling of NH3 shows good agreement. Therefore, the work demonstrates the usefulness of sUAS as an alternative method of emission measurement, supporting its application in lieu of traditional sampling techniques to collect real time emission data.

With the implementation of ultra-low emission of nitrogen oxides, denitrification technologies, such as selective catalytic reduction, selective non-catalytic reduction or selective non-catalytic reduction combined with selective catalytic reduction, have been widely used in gas-fired power plants, cement plants and municipal solid waste incineration power plants. These three denitrification industries have become the main potential fixed sources of ammonia emissions in urban areas, however the studies on ammonia emissions are lacking. In order to study the ammonia emission characteristics and ammonia injection control of gas-fired power plants, cement plants and municipal solid waste incineration power plants, field tests were carried out on five typical denitrification enterprises using three monitoring methods. The multi-form ammonia manual monitoring method proposed in this study distinguished and defined all possible ammonia in the flue gas into filterable ammonia, residual ammonia, condensable ammonia and gaseous ammonia according to the migration and transformation behavior during the collection process. The monitoring results of the multi-form manual monitoring method can more accurately reflect the actual ammonia emission level with the simultaneous collection and monitoring of different ammonia forms. The ammonia emission levels in cement plants (more than 20 mg/m³) were higher than that of gas power plants and waste incineration plants (almost less than 4 mg/m³). The condensed ammonia was the dominant form of ammonia, accounting for 58.4%～88.7%. The humidity and temperature of flue gas at the chimney outlet had significant influence on residual ammonia. For the denitration enterprises using a single denitrification technology, the ammonia emission had a linear negative correlation with that of nitrogen oxide with changing ammonia injection amount, while for that using combined denitrification technology, the degree of collaboration between selective non-catalytic reduction ammonia injection control and selective catalytic reduction ammonia injection control played a decisive role in the control of nitrogen oxide emission and ammonia emission, especially the selective catalytic reduction ammonia injection control. [Display omitted] • All possible ammonia emission from GFPPs, MSWIPPs and CPs were defined. • The multi-form ammonia included granular, residual, condensed and gaseous ammonia. • The multi-form ammonia manual monitoring method was proposed to monitor them. • The condensed ammonia was the dominant form in ammonia emission. • SCR ammonia injection control in combined denitrification system was very important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the costs of emission abatement measures is essential for devising reduction efforts. It allows to identify cost-effective solutions to achieve target values set by international agreements or national policies. This work aims to summarize and discuss the current knowledge on costs and effects associated with selected ammonia (NH 3) mitigation measures in livestock production through comparison of country-specific and model-estimated values. Often, large differences appear between the results of individual countries, also in comparison with model results that are generally better harmonized between countries. It seems that different system boundaries in cost assessments, but also different geographic and structural conditions create perceived as well as real cost differences, also caused by the variability of individual situations. Our results are robust with respect to identifying feeding strategies as the most cost-effective, but results for other mitigation options do not show any clear trends, thus making it difficult to distinguish further cost-effective solutions. We point out and discuss some key aspects which may affect estimates of national costs, leading to challenges with the interpretation of final results. Our study concludes that further and more consistent assessments (e.g. standardized protocols) are needed to improve the evaluation base for other individual abatement options, including options that are under development. • Cost estimates for abatement options vary markedly between countries and model data. • Country-specific assumptions play critical role in cost assessment. • Consistent assessment of costs is needed to properly identify affordable measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia emissions from motor vehicles have great effect on air pollution and human health in urban areas. Recently, many countries have focus on ammonia emission measurement and control technologies for light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs). To analyze ammonia emission characteristics, three conventional LDGVs and one hybrid electric light-duty vehicle (HEV) were evaluated over different driving cycles. The average ammonia emission factor at 23 ℃ was 4.5 ± 1.6 mg/km over Worldwide harmonized light vehicles test cycle (WLTC). Most ammonia emissions mainly concentrated in low and medium speed sections at cold-start stage, which were related to rich burn conditions. The increasing ambient temperatures led to the decrease of ammonia emissions, but high load caused by extremely elevated ambient temperature led to obvious ammonia emissions. The ammonia formation is also related to three-way catalytic converter (TWC) temperatures, and underfloor TWC catalyst could eliminate ammonia partly. The ammonia emission from HEV, which are significant less than LDGV, corresponded to the engine working state. The large temperature difference in the catalysts caused by power source shifts were the main reason. Exploring the effects of various factors on the ammonia emission is beneficial for revealing the instinct formation conditions, providing theoretical support for the future regulations. [Display omitted] • LDGV with TWC technology is an important atmospheric source of hazardous material NH 3. • The average NH 3 emission factor of conventional LDGVs in the work is 4.5 ± 1.6 mg/km. • NH 3 formation is related to rich burn conditions and temperatures of TWC catalysts. • HEV significantly reduces the level of NH 3 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Storing manure provides opportunities for dairy farms to maximize using the manure value as a fertilizer, reduce handling costs, and minimize its potential to pollute the environment. However, it also presents the potential to lose the nitrogen in manure to the atmosphere through volatilization as ammonia. Knowing the quantities of nitrogen lost is critical to inform the decision-making process related to developing mitigation strategies. This study aimed to quantify ammonia lost at the farm scale level from manure stored in a clay pit at a dairy farm during two storage periods. The ammonia concentrations, manure temperature, and local meteorological factors were measured and used to calculate the ammonia flux. Further, the crusting on stored manure surface was characterized and related to ammonia loss. The ammonia flux ranged from 0.26 ± 0.01 g m−2 d−1 to 1.30 ± 0.05 g m−2 d−1, averaging 0.57 ± 0.02 g m−2 d−1. Of the local meteorological factors, the wind speed influenced ammonia loss the most, but the ammonia flux patterns were related more closely to the manure temperature than other meteorological factors. The crusting of the manure suppressed the ammonia loss. However, manure agitation before land application accounted for about 25% of the nitrogen loss. The ammonia lost during storage accounted for about 5% of the total nitrogen in the manure going into storage. The outcome of this work contributes knowledge that farmers, practitioners, and policymakers can use to design and improve the guidelines to formulate effective farm manure management and mitigation practices and regulatory programs to minimize ammonia loss from dairy farms using manure scrapers and clay storage pits as part of their manure management system. [Display omitted] • Wind speed is the meteorological parameter impacting ammonia loss the most during manure storage. • Surface crusting is beneficial for conserving manure nitrogen value during storage. • Most ammonia loss occurs when agitating and mixing manure to prepare for land application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture produces food, fiber and biofuels for the world's growing population, however, agriculture can be a major contributor of nitrogen (N) losses including emissions of ammonia (NH 3), nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and nitrate (NO 3 −) leaching and runoff. A Canadian Agricultural Nitrogen Budget for Reactive N (CANBNr) model was developed to estimate the soil N balance in 3487 soil landscape of Canada polygons from 1981 to 2016. The CANBNr model integrates NH 3 emission from fertilizers, manure from housing, storage and field, as well as direct/indirect N 2 O emissions from fertilizers, manures, crop residues and soil organic matter. The NO 3 − leaching is estimated based on the residual soil N (RSN) at harvest and drainage derived with the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model. From 1981 to 2016, the N input from fertilizer and N fixation increased at a greater rate than N removal in harvested crops in all provinces of Canada, resulting in an increase in the RSN and N losses. In 2016, the Prairie provinces had lower N losses (11.7 kg N ha−1) from N 2 O, NH 3 and NO 3 − compared with 43.2 kg N ha−1 in central Canada, and 76.5 kg N ha−1 in Atlantic Canada. However, the Prairie provinces had 84.3% of the total Canadian farmland (74.3% of the total Canadian N input), while central Canada had 12.9% of Canadian farmland (21.7% of the total Canadian N input). In the Prairie provinces, the total N 2 O loss from fertilizer N ranged 4.4–8.6 Gg N whereas NH 3 loss ranged from 17.1 to 44.6 Gg N and these values were influenced by both emission intensity and total land area. Total N 2 O losses from manure were highest in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec resulting in 4.8, 4.4, and 3.4 Gg N and NH 3 losses from manure were also highest in these 3 provinces at 61.1, 45.2 and 40.4 Gg N, respectively. Nitrate leaching was impacted by drainage volumes, soil type and N inputs. In the non-growing season, NO 3 − leaching losses (36-yr average) were 63.3 Gg in Ontario and 57.5 Gg N in Quebec compared with 20.8 Gg N for Ontario and 35.5 Gg N for Quebec in the growing season. In contrast, the Prairie provinces showed higher NO 3 − leaching in the growing season (23.1–37.4 Gg N) than in the non-growing season (10.4–13.7 Gg N). In summary, total fertilizer N increased the most over the 36 years in the Prairies which resulted in increased RSN and N leaching losses that will require further intervention. [Display omitted] • Canadian Agricultural Nitrogen Budget for Reactive N (CANBNr) model was developed. • The N budget were simulated at 3487 soil landscape of Canada polygons from 1981 to 2016. • RSN and N losses increased due to the greater increase in N input from fertilizer and N fixation than N removal by crop. • The Prairie provinces had lower N 2 O, NH 3 and NO 3 − leaching losses per hectare farmland than other provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, two experiments were conducted to investigate the physicochemical characteristics (Exp. I) of bedding materials such as rice hulls (RH), sawdust (SD), wood shavings (WS) and sawdust+wood shavings (S+W; 1:1 in volume), and utilization of these beddings except RH (Exp. II) for rearing beef cattle. In Exp. I, the distribution of particle size (%) with 250 μm and below 250 μm was greater (p

This study was designed to examine the characteristics of sawdust and cocopeat bedding materials, including physicochemical properties (Exp. I) and on-farm trial (Exp. II). In Exp. I, the proportion of particle size was in the order of sawdust> cocopeat India>cocopeat Vietnam (pcocopeat Vietnam>sawdust (p

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of fermented with a newly isolated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains combination (Lactobacillus plantarum LUHS122, Lactobacillus casei LUHS210, Lactobacillus farraginis LUHS206, Pediococcus acidilactici LUHS29, Lactobacillus plantarum LUHS135 and Lactobacillus uvarum LUHS245) feed on non-vaccinated (NV) and vaccinated with Circovac porcine circovirus type 2 vaccine (QI09AA07, CEVA-PHYLAXIA Co. Ltd. Szállás u. 5. 1107 Budapest, Hungary) piglets’ blood parameters, gut microbial composition, growth performance and ammonia emission. The 36-day experiment was conducted using 25-day-old Large White/Norwegian Landrace (LW/NL) piglets, which were randomly divided into four groups with 100 piglets each: SnonV—non-vaccinated piglets fed with control group compound feed; SV—vaccinated piglets fed with control group compound feed; RFnonV—non-vaccinated piglets fed with fermented compound feed; RFV—vaccinated piglets fed with fermented compound feed. Samples from 10 animals per group were collected at the beginning and end of the experiment. Metagenomic analysis showed that fermentation had a positive impact on the Lactobacillus prevalence during the post-weaning period of pigs, and vaccination had no negative impact on microbial communities. Although a higher amount of Lactobacillus was detected in vaccinated, compared with non-vaccinated groups. At the end of experiment, there was a significantly higher LAB count in the faeces of both vaccinated compared to non-vaccinated groups (26.6% for SV and 17.2% for RFV), with the highest LAB count in the SV group. At the end of experiment, the SV faeces also had the highest total bacteria count (TBC). The RFV group had a 13.2% increase in total enterobacteria count (TEC) at the end of experiment, and the SV group showed a 31.2% higher yeast/mould (Y/M) count. There were no significant differences in the average daily gain (ADG) among the groups; however, there were significant differences in the feed conversion ratios (FCR) between several groups: SV vs. SnonV (11.5% lower in the SV group), RFV vs. RFnonV (10.2% lower in the RFnonV group) and SV vs. RFV (21.6% lower in the SV group). Furthermore, there was a significant, very strong positive correlation between FCR and TEC in piglets’ faeces (R = 0.919, p = 0.041). The lowest ammonia emission was in RFV group section (58.2, 23.8, and 47.33% lower compared with the SnonV, SV and RFnonV groups, respectively). Notably, there was lower ammonia emission in vaccinated groups (45.2% lower in SV vs. SnonV and 47.33% lower in RFV vs. RFnonV). There was also a significant, very strong positive correlation between ammonia emission and Y/M count in piglets’ faeces at the end of the experiment (R = 0.974; p = 0.013). Vaccination as a separate factor did not significantly influence piglets’ blood parameters. Overall, by changing from an extruded soya to cheaper rapeseed meal and applying the fermentation model with the selected LAB combination, it is possible to feed piglets without any undesirable changes in health and growth performance in a more sustainable manner. However, to evaluate the influence of vaccination and its interaction with other parameters (feed, piglets’ age, breed, etc.) on piglets’ parameters, additional studies should be performed and methods should be standardised to ensure the results may be compared.

This study developed a NH3 emission factor for bituminous coal power plants in South Korea in order to investigate the NH3 emission characteristics. The NH3 concentration analysis results showed that emissions from the selected bituminous coal power plants were in the range of 0.21−0.99 ppm, and that the difference in NH3 concentration was affected by NOx concentration. The NH3 emission factor was found to be 0.0029 kg NH3/ton, which demonstrated that the difference in the values obtained from the research conducted in South Korea was lower than the difference in the emission factor provided by the U.S. EPA, which is currently applied in the statistics of South Korea. NH3 emissions were compared by using the NH3 emission factor developed in this study alongside the EPA’s NH3 emission factor that is currently applied in South Korea’s statistics; the difference was found to be 206 NH3 ton/year. This implies that an emission factor that reflects the national characteristics of South Korea needs to be developed. The uncertainty range of the NH3 emission factor developed in this study was between −6.9% and +10.34% at a 95% confidence level.

Urea is the most used fertilizer nitrogen (N), and is often applied as urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), which may be an ammonia (NH3) emission source after application. This study examined whether the addition of urease inhibitors reduced NH3 emission, and, in combination with nitrification inhibitors, enhanced fertilizer N crop uptake. In three experiments, NH3 emission was measured from plots (100 m2) to which UAN was added with and without inhibitors. In March and May, the plots were covered with Triticum aestivum L., Sheriff (var), and in July, the soil was bare. The inhibitor mixed with urea was N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) and a mixture of NBPT and the new nitrification inhibitor DMPSA (3,4-Dimethylpyrazole succinic acid). Ammonia emissions were negligible from all plots after the first application of UAN due to the wet and cold weather while an average of 7% of applied UAN was emitted after application of UAN in April, where no significant effect of additives was observed. The harvest yield was low due to drought from May till August. Yield was highest when UAN was mixed with NBPT and lowest for untreated UAN. The highest emission from the bare plots was obtained from untreated UAN (17% of N), in contrast to 11% of N from the plots with added UAN + NBPT (not significant) and 7% from the plots with added UAN + NBPT + DMPSA (significantly different). Under the conditions of the current study, urease inhibitors reduce NH3 emissions in periods where the risk of emission is high, and the combination of urease and nitrification inhibitors increased yields.

The aim of this paper was to verify the effect of the Z'fix (PRP Technologies, France) activator of biological transformation of manure from the viewpoint of the cowshed conditions parameters, produced manure quality, manure application effect on crop yields, and overall economics. Concerning manure production, the application of the Z'fix agent enhanced quality, structure and nutrient content (N total by 23%, P2O5 by 42%, K2O by 17%) in the manure from deep litter housing. Compared to the untreated control, differences in the nutrient content of N total and K2O were statistically significant, NH3 emissions dropped significantly by almost 35%. The economic benefit of manure production with the use of the Z'fix agent demonstrated overall savings at the level of 1,369 CZK/LU/year. The influence of manure produced combined with the PRP Sol application was tested in terms of a boost of crop yield potential of silage maize and of winter wheat. Compared to the control, both crops reached yields higher by 0.7% to 9.8%.

The aim of this study was to determine relationships between ammonia and hydrogen sulphide emissions and the type of manure storage, and correlations between emissions and Estonian climatic conditions. Total ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) emissions depend directly on the open area of manure storage. Of ring-shaped manure storage, with permanent roofing (H1, open area 3.9 m2), 2.7 kg NH3 and 0.02 kg H2S were emitted per year. Emissions from plastic lagoons (H4, open area 4100 m2) were 920 kg NH3 and 4.6 kg H2S per year. Emissions per animal unit (AU) per year from storage H1 were 14.6 g NH3 and 0.08 g H2S, and from storage H4 722.8 g NH3 and 3.65 g H2S. The emission of pollutants, per m2 of open area also depended on the depth of stored manure. The highest emissions were from the ring-shaped uncovered storage systems with high walls (H2), at 1.05 g m-2 24h-1. Emissions from ring-shaped uncovered storage with low walls (H3) was 25% smaller, 0.79 g m-2 24h-1, and from the manure lagoons (H4) 42% lower, 0.61 g m-2 24h-1. However the variation between storage systems was not significant (P > 0.05). Temperature (°C) had the greatest effect on increasing ammonia emission (r = 0.65***). The correlation between temperature and hydrogen sulphide emissions was not significant (r = 0.18). Relative humidity (%) had no effect to ammonia and hydrogen sulphide emission (r = 0.02 and 0.16 respectively).

Abstract Henan province is one of the most critical emitters of ammonia (NH 3) and is one of the most seriously air polluted regions in China. In this study, we developed a first comprehensive and novel 2015-based NH 3 emission inventory for Henan province based on investigational activity data with corrected and updated emission factors of anthropogenic and natural sources. The 3 km × 3 km gridded emissions and monthly variations were allocated by using appropriate spatial and localized temporal surrogates. The total NH 3 emission was 1031.6 Gg in 2015, of which livestock, N fertilizer application, and humans were the top three contributors, accounting for 57.3%, 28.2%, and 3.1%, respectively. The cities of Nanyang, Zhoukou, and Zhumadian with more rural and agricultural activities were demonstrated to have relatively high emissions, accounting for 12.5%, 10.1%, and 9.7% of total emissions, respectively. The regional averaged emission density was 6.3 t km−2, with higher values in eastern and northern Henan province. Obvious seasonal variability was observed, with the highest emission in July and the lowest in January associated with temperature and local farming activities. In addition, according to the emissions investigation carried out from 2006 to 2016, the largest changes occurred in non-agricultural sources. Furthermore, we quantitatively analyzed the estimated emissions with the uncertainty range of -33%-35% using the AuvToolPro tool. This emission inventory was also evaluated by comparing the magnitudes with other studies, analyzing the correlation of the observed ambient NH 3 concentration with emission density and temperature, and investigating the trend of molar ratio of (2SO 2 +NO 2)/NH 3. The emission inventory developed in this study can provide information to understand local emission characteristics, and to determine how to prioritize effective control strategies properly for policy makers. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A recent integrated and long-term high-resolution NH 3 emission inventory of Henan province was developed. • Spatiotemporal variations and quantitative uncertainty were investigated and analyzed. • Correlation analysis and molar ratio of (2SO 2 +NO 2)/NH 3 were applied to evaluate the emission inventory. • The emissions and in-situ ambient NH 3 concentration were compared with those in other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment is the property of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Gaseous emissions from livestock buildings have been a research focus for many years. In particular, quantifying emissions from naturally ventilated buildings is not trivial because it requires accurately determining the air exchange rate (AER) and representative gaseous concentration values in the exhaust and in the incoming air. Improvements are required for the method for estimating AERs and for selecting representative sampling points and locations in naturally ventilated dairy buildings (NVB). The objective of this study was to investigate the magnitude and sources of uncertainties in calculating AERs. A long-term experiment was performed in an NVB located in north-east Germany. CO 2 concentrations were continuously measured inside the barn at eight uniformly distributed points and outside the barn at four points. Sensitivity studies on the calculation of AER were performed by varying the indoor and outdoor sampling points, sampling duration and animal parameters used for the calculation. The sensitivity results were compared to the best available data approximation (BADA), which is based on the best knowledge of these parameters. All factors were evaluated and ordered in terms of their influence on AER calculation and uncertainty. The results show that the sampling duration and the number and location of indoor sampling points have the largest effects on AER uncertainty. Data on milk yield and days since insemination have the lowest influence on AER uncertainty. The information collected in this long-term study is very important for planning measurement campaigns in the future. Highlights • Sufficient measurement duration is crucial for quality of AER estimation. • Optimal sampling point location inside the barn has large influence on AER. • Individual sampling points in the centre of the barn show better results. • Animal parameter has moderate effect on the accuracy for AER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment is the property of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In-house windrowing between flocks is an emerging sanitary management practice to partially disinfect the built-up litter in broiler houses. However, this practice may also increase ammonia (NH3) emission from the litter due to the increase in litter temperature. The objectives of this study were to develop mathematical models to estimate NH3 emission rates from broiler houses practicing in-house windrowing between flocks. Equations to estimate mass-transfer areas form different shapes windrowed litter (triangular, rectangular, and semi-cylindrical prisms) were developed. Using these equations, the heights of windrows yielding the smallest mass-transfer area were estimated. Smaller mass-transfer area is preferred as it reduces both emission rates and heat loss. The heights yielding the minimum mass-transfer area were 0.8 and 0.5 m for triangular and rectangular windrows, respectively. Only one height (0.6 m) was theoretically possible for semi-cylindrical windrows because the base and the height were not independent. Mass-transfer areas were integrated with published process-based mathematical models to estimate the total house NH3 emission rates during in-house windrowing of poultry litter. The NH3 emission rate change calculated from the integrated model compared well with the observed values except for the very high NH3 initial emission rate from mechanically disturbing the litter to form the windrows. This approach can be used to conveniently estimate broiler house NH3 emission rates during in-house windrowing between flocks by simply measuring litter temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of litter density and addition of organic minerals (Availa-Zn R® andMn R® ) andYucca schidigera extract (MicroAid R® ) on ammonia emissions in broiler chickens was evaluated. Four treatments were tested: I. Traditional growing program with a litter density of one kg m-2 of rice hulls (TP1); II. Treatment I with a litter density of 2 kg m-2 of rice hulls (TP2); III. Traditional growing program with a foot health program (40 ppm of Availa-Zn R®, 40 ppm of Mn R®, and 125 ppm of MicroAid R® ) during the growing cycle with a litter density of one kg m-2 of rice hulls (TP1+FHP); and IV. Treatment III with a litter density of 2 kg m-2 of rice hulls (TP2+FHP). Ross-line chickens were used. Ammonia emissions from litter and at peak height (ppm), litter moisture (%), relative humidity (%), pH, litter temperature (°C), and ambient temperature (°C) were measured weekly during the growing period. The results of ammonia emissions from litter showed significant differences among treatments (P ≤ 0.0001); treatments with a litter density of 2 kg m-2 plus the use of organic minerals and MicroAid R® added separately and in combination were statistically different from the traditional program (TP1), reducing ammonia emissions from litter by up to 36%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amine post-combustion carbon capture technology is based on washing the flue gas with a solvent that captures CO2. Thus, a small fraction of this solvent can be released together with the cleaned flue gas. This release may cause environmental concerns, both directly and indirectly through subsequent solvent degradation into other substances in the atmosphere. The paper presents the ammonia emission from CO2 capture pilot plant (1 tonne CO2 per day) using 40 wt% aminoethylethanolamine solvent, along with the efficiency of the water wash unit. In addition, the temperature effect of lean amine entering the absorber on ammonia emission was studied. Furthermore, the concentrations of other compounds such as SO2, SO3, NO2, CS2 and formaldehyde were monitored. The literature review on the NH3 emission from a pilot plant using aminoethylethanolamine solvent has not been published. The results show that the main source of ammonia emission is the absorber and that emission (in the range 27-50 ppm) corresponds to typical NH3 release from CO2 capture pilot plant using an amine solvent. The emission of amines and amine degradation products is a complex phenomenon which is difficult to predict in novel solvents, and for this reason the significance of new solvents testing in a pilot scale has been highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In intensive livestock production areas, farmers must apply manure management systems to comply with governmental regulations. Biogas plants, as a source of renewable energy, have the potential to reduce environmental impacts comparing with other manure management practices. Nevertheless, manure processing at biogas plants also incurs in non-desired gas emissions that should be considered. At present, available emission calculation methods cover partially emissions produced at a biogas plant, with the subsequent difficulty in the preparation of life cycle inventories. The objective of this study is to characterise gaseous emissions: ammonia (NH 3 -N), methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O indirect , and N 2 O direct ) and hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) from the anaerobic co-digestion of cow manure by using different approaches for preparing gaseous emission inventories, and to compare the different methodologies used. The chosen scenario for the study is a biogas plant located next to a dairy farm in the North of Catalonia, Spain. Emissions were calculated by two methods: field measurements and estimation, following international guidelines. International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines were adapted to estimate emissions for the specific situation according to Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 approaches. Total air emissions at the biogas plant were calculated from the emissions produced at the three main manure storage facilities on the plant: influent storage, liquid fraction storage, and the solid fraction storage of the digestate. Results showed that most of the emissions were produced in the liquid fraction storage. Comparing measured emissions with estimated emissions, NH 3 , CH 4 , N 2 O indirect and H 2 S total emission results were in the same order of magnitude for both methodologies, while, N 2 O direct total measured emissions were one order of magnitude higher than the estimates. A Monte Carlo analysis was carried out to examine the uncertainties of emissions determined from experimental data, providing probability distribution functions. Four emission inventories were developed with the different methodologies used. Estimation methods proved to be a useful tool to determine emissions when field sampling is not possible. Nevertheless, it was not possible to establish which methodology is more reliable. Therefore, more measurements at different biogas plants should be evaluated to validate the methodologies more precisely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substrate preparation (i.e., composting) for Agaricus bisporus cultivation is the most critical point of mushroom production. Among many factors involved in the composting process, the microbial ecology of the system is the underlying drive of composting and can be influenced by composting management techniques. Pasteurization temperature at the beginning of phase II, in theory, may influence the bacterial community and subsequently the 'selectivity' and nutrition of the final substrate. Therefore, this hypothesis was tested by simulation in bioreactors under different pasteurization conditions (57 °C/6 h, 60 °C/2 h, and 68 °C/2 h), simulating conditions adopted by many producers. Bacterial diversity, based on 16S ribosomal RNA obtained by high-throughput sequencing and classified in operational taxonomic units (OTUs), was greater than previously reported using culture-dependent methods. Alpha diversity estimators show a lower diversity of OTUs under a high-temperature pasteurization condition. Bacillales order shows a relatively higher OTU abundance under a high-pasteurization temperature, which also was related to high ammonia emission measurements. On the other hand, beta diversity analysis showed no significantly changes in the bacterial community structure under different conditions. Agaricus bisporus mycelium growth during a standard spawn run period was significantly slower in the compost pasteurized at high temperature. Since the bacterial community structure was not greatly affected by different pasteurization conditions but by-products left (e.g., ammonia) at the end of compost conditioning varied, further studies need to be conducted to determine the functional role of the microbial communities found during substrate preparation for Agaricus bisporus cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By-products from the food industry can be valuable ingredients in animal feeds. One example is olive cake (OC), generated in large amounts by the olive oil industry, which contains oil with a high proportion of oleic acid and polyphenols. An experiment was performed using pigs to determine the nutritional value of crude (COC) and partially defatted (PDOC) olive cake, and to evaluate their effect on nutrient balance, slurry properties and potential ammonia (NH 3 ) and methane (CH 4 ) emissions. Five experimental feeds were designed; a basal diet and another four diets produced by substituting 100 or 200 g/kg of the basal diet with either COC or PDOC. Thirty finishing male pigs (76.1 ± 4.2 kg initial BW) were used in the experiment (6 animals/treatment). After a 14-day adaptation period, faeces and urine were collected separately for 7 days to measure nutrient digestibility and the excretory patterns of nitrogen. Potential NH 3 and CH 4 emissions were measured in reconstituted slurry samples over 11 and 100 days, respectively. The dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), cellulose, starch and energy coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) were negative and linearly (P < 0.05) affected by OC inclusion level. However, the type of OC did not influence any of the digestion efficiencies studied. The energy digestibility of the ingredients tested, estimated by substitution, were 0.479 (±0.040, SEM) and 0.327 (±0.049) for COC and PDOC, respectively. Overall, the results indicate a digestible energy (DE) value from COC and PDOC that account respectively for around 80 or 60% of the DE provided by barley grain in pigs. Faecal content of cellulose, polyphenols and gross energy (GE) increased linearly with OC inclusion, whereas ash content decreased. The total N content of urine decreased linearly with OC inclusion, but benzoic and hippuric acid contents increased, which resulted in lower pH values for the OC diets. The ratio between faecal and urine N excretion decreased from 2.48 in the basal diet to 1.01 on average in the 200 g/kg OC diets. As a result, increasing both COC and PDOC levels in diets resulted in lower NH 3 emissions per volume of slurry and in a lower biochemical CH 4 potential. Although slurry excretion increased with OC inclusion, daily NH 3 emissions still decreased with increasing OC inclusion. However, potential CH 4 emissions per animal increased. A global perspective throughout the production chain is needed to assess the impact of including OC in pig diets on gaseous emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agro-Environment Science is the property of Journal of Agro-Environment Science Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Field data on ammonia emission after liquid cattle manure (‘slurry’) application to grassland were statistically analysed to reveal the effect of manure and field characteristics and of weather conditions in eight consecutive periods after manure application. Logistic regression models, modelling the emission expressed as a percentage of the ammonia still present at the start of each period as the response variable, were developed separately for broadcast spreading, narrow band application (trailing shoe) and shallow injection. Wind speed, temperature, soil type, total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) content and dry matter content of the manure, application rate and grass height were selected as significant explanatory variables. Their effects differed for each application method and among periods. Temperature and wind speed were generally the most important drivers for emission. The fitted regression models were used to reveal seasonal trends in NH 3 emission employing historical meteorological data for the years 1991–2014. The overall average emission was higher in early and midsummer than in early spring and late summer. This seasonal trend was most pronounced for broadcast spreading followed by narrow band application, and was almost absent for shallow injection. However, due to the large variation in weather conditions, emission on a particular day in early spring can be higher than on a particular day in summer. The analysis further revealed that, in a specific scenario and depending on the application technique, emission could be reduced with 20–30% by restricting manure application to favourable days, i.e. with weather conditions with minimal emission levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia emission reduces the reliability and nitrogen (N) fertilizer efficiency of animal manure and mineral fertilizers applied to fields. The loss of ammonia to the atmosphere is frequently compensated for by costly over-application of N fertilizers. New technologies to reduce ammonia emission are regularly developed, and their efficacy needs to be tested using accurate methods. To date, a major obstacle to many available emission measurement techniques is the requirement of large plot sizes of homogeneous surface characteristics, which particularly is a challenge to the number of plot-level replicates that can be carried out on a field providing uniform surface characteristics throughout. The objectives of this research were to test three different methods for measuring NH3 flux when applied to small plots (<315 m2) by comparison with conventional micrometeorological methods and to determine the labor intensity and expenses related to the respective methods in their entirety. The integrated horizontal flux (IHF) method and the ZINST method were used with passive flux Leuning samplers as micrometeorological reference methods. As examples of conventional small-plot in situ emission measurement techniques, wind tunnels measuring gas-phase ammonia using ALPHA passive diffusion samplers and a flux chamber method using Dräger tubes for measurements of ammonia concentration (DTM) were used. As an inexpensive alternative small-plot method, we studied the feasibility of applying ALPHA passive diffusion samplers and battery-driven cup anemometers at ZINST height on small source areas (<315 m2), coupled with a backward Lagrangian stochastic (bLS) dispersion model to calculate emission fluxes (referred to as the AbLS method). When exposure duration was appropriate and weather conditions were not extreme, tests showed no significant difference in NH3 emission fluxes measured with AbLS, compared to those obtained with IHF and ZINST using Leuning samplers. However, the AbLS method did not give reliable emission measurements in periods with high wind speeds and heavy rain. It was also shown that the AbLS method provided valid results when reducing the plot radius from the standard 20 m to 10 m, or even 5 m, provided that the ALPHA samplers were exposed for at least 5 or 6 h. Emission from 200 kg urea-N ha-1 was between 20 and 30 kg N ha-1 in the two trials. The cost for one study running for one week using the ZINST or bLS methodology, including equipment for four plots and eight measurement intervals, was $2785 if horizontal fluxes were measured using the ALPHA samplers, compared to $12,301 using the Leuning samplers and $13,928 using gas washing bottles. Using the DTM flux chamber method once is a little more expensive than using the AbLS method, but less expensive if the cost of purchasing the equipment is distributed over five studies in five years. Using wind tunnels is as costly as measuring emissions with the Leuning samplers or gas washing bottles using the bLS or ZINST method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The probiotic effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain CF (Chen Fu) on growth performance, meat quality, and microenvironment in specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were investigated and compared with Enterococcus faecium. One-hundredeighty 7-day-old SPF chickens were randomly assigned into 3 groups with 3 replicate pens of 20 chickens each. Group 1 served as a control that was fed a basal diet without probiotics supplementation. Groups 2 and 3 were fed the basal diet supplemented with L. rhamnosus CF and E. faecium, respectively. On d 12 and 24, BW, ADG, feed conversion ratio (FCR), dressing percentage (DP), and apparent digestibility of crude protein (AD-CP) were calculated. Meat color, fat content, shear force, water content, and pH value of breast and thigh muscles; ammonia, urea nitrogen, and uric acid content in plasma; pH value, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, and E. coli in ceca; and ammonia emission were determined. Compared with group 1, group 2 exhibited higher BW, ADG, AD-CP, DP, cecal Lactobacilli, and muscle fat content (P<0.05) as well as lower FCR, muscle water content, plasma ammonia, pH value, E. coli, and Enterococcus in ceca, and ammonia emission (P<0.05), and group 3 exhibited higher BW, ADG, AD-CP, DP, and muscle fat content (P<0.05), as well as lower FCR, meat color, plasma ammonia, E. coli and Enterococcus in ceca, and ammonia emission (d 24) (P<0.05). Compared with group 3, group 2 exhibited lower plasma ammonia level, E. coli, and pH value in ceca and ammonia emission (P<0.05) and higher AD-CP, meat color, pH value in thigh muscles, fat content in breast muscles, and number of Lactobacillus in ceca (P<0.05). Thus, L. rhamnosus CF improves growth performance, meat quality, and microenvironment and is a potential probiotic additive in chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]