Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.

If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

Particulate matter (PM) emissions from concentrated poultry laying houses cause significant environmental and health concerns. Quantifying and characterizing PM emissions and effectiveness of mitigation technology for layer facilities will allow the poultry industry control the particulate emissions more effectively. This study assessed PM emissions from a new belt-battery laying facility through six months of continuous measurement. PM10 concentration was continuously measured using the tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM). Gravimetric samplers were used to sample total suspended particulate twice a week. Barn ventilation was estimated via in field tests and continuous monitoring of fan control signals, vibration, and pressure of all fans. The average daily mean (ADM) concentration of PM10 and TSP were 265 g/dsm3 and 2908 g/dsm3 at the barn exhaust locations, respectively. The ADM emission rates of PM10 and TSP from the belt battery layer barn were 20 mg/d-hen and 168 mg/d-hen, respectively. Based on these emission rates, 13.7 million hens would emit 100 tons of PM10 and 4.1 million hens would emit 250 tons of TSP per year, respectively. The PM10 concentration in belt battery layer barn was only 45-53% of that in high-rise barns. PM10 emission rate of belt battery barn wan only about 62% of that of the high-rise barns. Similar levels of TSP concentrations and emission rates in the belt battery barn were measured in comparison with the high-rise layer barns.