Open AccessHigh NH3 deposition in the environs of a commercial fattening pig farm in central south China
Author(s) -
Yi Wuying,
Jianlin Shen,
Guoping Liu,
Juan Wang,
YU Li-fei,
Yong Li,
Stefan Reis,
Jinshui Wu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
environmental research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.37
H-Index - 124
ISSN - 1748-9326
DOI - 10.1088/1748-9326/ac3603
Subject(s) - deposition (geology) , seasonality , ammonia , environmental science , zoology , livestock , dry season , hydrology (agriculture) , atmospheric sciences , environmental chemistry , chemistry , biology , ecology , structural basin , geology , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
Intensive livestock production has been increasing, and has resulted in the emission of more than seven teragram per year of ammonia (NH 3 ) in China in recent years. However, little is known about the fate of the emitted NH 3 , especially the dry deposition of NH 3 in the environs of intensive animal farms. In this study, the spatial and temporal variations of NH 3 deposition in the environs of an intensive fattening pig farm were investigated in the central south of China. NH 3 concentrations were measured at sites situated 50, 100, 200, 300, and 500 m in the downwind direction from the farm each month from July 2018 to June 2019. The NH 3 deposition was calculated based on a bidirectional NH 3 exchange model. The monthly NH 3 emissions from the pig farm were estimated based on the breeding stock. The annual average NH 3 concentrations ranged from 1200 to 14 μ g m −3 at the downwind sites within 500 m of the pig farm, exhibiting exponential decay as distance increased. Strong seasonality in NH 3 deposition was observed, with the highest season being in the summer and lowest in the winter, and air temperature was found to be an important factor affecting this seasonal variation. The estimated monthly total dry deposition within 500 m of the pig farm ranged from 92 to 1400 kg NH 3 –N mo −1 , which accounted for 4.1%–14% of the total monthly NH 3 emissions from the pig farm. The estimated total NH 3 emissions and NH 3 deposition from the pig farm were 63 000 kg NH 3 –N yr −1 and 5400 kg NH 3 –N yr −1 , respectively, with the annual average ratio of NH 3 deposition to NH 3 emission being 8.6%. This study found NH 3 deposition around intensive pig farms is high, and determined it as a significant fate of the NH 3 emitted from pig farms.