CO2 and NH3 emissions and water consumption at mechanically ventilated finishing pig house in Beijing equipped with pull-plug manure removal system

Abstract: In the present study a field experiment was conducted to quantify CO2 and NH3 emissions and water consumption from 25th July, 2015 to 11th August, 2015 (18 days) during summer in a finishing pig house in Beijing equipped with a pull-plug manure removal system and a curtain tunnel mechanical ventilation system. NH3 emission rates were (23.4±11.0) g/(d•500 kg), and NH3 emission rates ranged from 4.3 to 49.5 g/(d•500 kg). Ammonia emission rates at 08:00 and 14:00 were significantly higher than those at 10:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 18:00 (P<0.001), presumably due to manure removal by workers lowering emissions. The average CO2 emission rate was (2.73±0.78) g/(d•500 kg), and maximum and minimum rates were 5.00 and 1.00 g/(d•500 kg), respectively. The average daily mean emission rate with a maximum frequency of 44% was 2.5-3 g/(d•500 kg), and around 92% of average daily emission rates were less than 4.0 kg/(d•500 kg). Daytime CO2 emissions peak was at 12:00. Maximum, minimum and average water consumption rates including the water pad on a per pig per day basis were 90.0, 19.6 and 47.0 L/(d•pig), respectively. These results establish baseline CO2 and NH3 emissions and water consumption values for pig production facilities of this type in China.