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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #227472
Title: Hydrogen sulfide and nonmethane hydrocarbon emissions from broiler houses in the Southeastern United States

Author
item LI, HONG - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item BURNS, ROBERT - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item XIN, HONGWEI - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item GATES, RICH - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Trabue, Steven
item OVERHULTS, DOUG - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item MOODY, LAURA - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item EARNEST, JOHN - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2008
Publication Date: 7/2/2008
Citation: Li, H., Burns, R., Xin, H., Gates, R., Trabue, S.L., Overhults, D., Moody, L., Earnest, J. 2008. Hydrogen sulfide and nonmethane hydrocarbon emissions from broiler houses in the Southeastern United States. Proceedings of ASABE Annual International Meeting, June 29 - July 2, 2008, Providence, Rhode Island. Paper No. 08-4417.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC) emissions from two mechanically ventilated commercial broiler houses located in the Southeastern United States were continuously monitored over 12 flocks during the one-year period of 2006-2007 as a joint effort between Iowa State University and the University of Kentucky. Hydrogen sulfide and NMHC concentrations were measured using UV-Fluorescence H2S analyzers and methane/nonmethane/total hydrocarbon dual Flame Ionization Detector gas chromatographs. Ventilation rates in each house were measured continuously by monitoring building static pressure and operational status of all ventilation fans in conjunction with individual performance curves developed and verified in situ using a Fan Assessment Numeration System (FANS) unit. United States EPA methods TO-15 and TO-17 were used for the nonmethane hydrocarbon compound speciation. The top-25 compounds are presented. The overall mean H2S and NMHC emission rate for one-year period was 65.7 ± 42 g/d-house and 1.68 ± 0.94 lb propane/d-house, respectively. Annual H2S emission for the two broiler houses (including downtime emissions) averaged 42.3 lb per year per house (19.2 kg per year per house) or 0.324 lb per bird marketed or 0.147 g per bird marketed when the birds were marketed at 52 days of age with a stocking density of 1.1 bird/square foot. Annual NMHC emission averaged 510 lb per year per house (19.4 kg per year per house) or 3.9 lb per 1000 birds marketed or 1.77 g per bird marketed.