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Alcohol, Volatile Fatty Acid, Phenol, and Methane Emissions from Dairy Cows and Fresh Manure
Author(s) -
Sun Huawei,
Trabue Steven L.,
Scoggin Kenwood,
Jackson Wendi A.,
Pan Yuee,
Zhao Yongjing,
Malkina Irina L.,
Koziel Jacek A.,
Mitloehner Frank M.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2007.0357
Subject(s) - manure , chemistry , zoology , dairy cattle , methane , greenhouse gas , cow dung , fatty acid , methane emissions , methanol , environmental chemistry , environmental science , agronomy , biology , fertilizer , ecology , organic chemistry
There are approximately 2.5 million dairy cows in California. Emission inventories list dairy cows and their manure as the major source of regional air pollutants, but data on their actual emissions remain sparse, particularly for smog‐forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and greenhouse gases (GHGs). We report measurements of alcohols, volatile fatty acids, phenols, and methane (CH 4 ) emitted from nonlactating (dry) and lactating dairy cows and their manure under controlled conditions. The experiment was conducted in an environmental chamber that simulates commercial concrete‐floored freestall cow housing conditions. The fluxes of methanol, ethanol, and CH 4 were measured from cows and/or their fresh manure. The average estimated methanol and ethanol emissions were 0.33 and 0.51 g cow −1 h −1 from dry cows and manure and 0.7 and 1.27 g cow −1 h −1 from lactating cows and manure, respectively. Both alcohols increased over time, coinciding with increasing accumulation of manure on the chamber floor. Volatile fatty acids and phenols were emitted at concentrations close to their detection limit. Average estimated CH 4 emissions were predominantly associated with enteric fermentation from cows rather than manure and were 12.35 and 18.23 g cow −1 h −1 for dry and lactating cows, respectively. Lactating cows produced considerably more gaseous VOCs and GHGs emissions than dry cows ( P < 0.001). Dairy cows and fresh manure have the potential to emit considerable amounts of alcohols and CH 4 and research is needed to determine effective mitigation.