Remedial Activities to Reduce Atmospheric Pollutants from Animal Feeding Operations

Concerns over agriculturally generated atmospheric pollutants necessitate consideration of emission reduction strategies in livestock facility management. Although the association between odors and elevated ammonia (NH3) and dust concentrations remains uncertain with conflicting studies, steps taken to reduce one pollutant may effectively reduce the others as well. Various remedial activities exist that can greatly reduce offsite transport of these atmospheric pollutants; however, descriptive collections of the different technologies remain limited in the literature. Therefore, this review aims to collect research findings into a comprehensive examination of both established and innovative remedial activities. Literature reviews were undertaken to identify recent research on atmospheric emission control from animal feeding operations. This information is presented in conjunction with the physical, chemical and biological principles inherent to these technologies. Basic management techniques are briefly discussed under the premise that reducing aerial contaminant propagation will lessen emission problems. However, emphasis remains on the multitude of remedial activities that can be employed to reduce elevated concentrations of odor, NH3 and dust. It was found that many mitigating measures can be selected to reduce elevated aerial contaminant concentrations simultaneously. Furthermore, remedial activities were identified that warrant further research or require investigation of technology transfer potential between livestock production types. Used in conjunction with an appropriate pollutant management plan, these practices may prove to abate odor, NH3 and dust problems in regions where off-site transport must be minimized. This paper provides an over-view of different options available to animal producers and presents areas that show promise as economically viable remediation techniques.