Denis Choinière, ing. M.Sc. Environmental Division Consumaj inc. Consumaj

IntroductionIntroduction  Livestock activity  Produces odor  Impact on the cohabitation with the neighborhood  Natural windbreaks were identified as a potential measure to reduce the present problem  The implantation of natural windbreaks around buildings is promoted by different organisations such as FPPQ, MAPAQ.  Method that is welcomed by producers and their neighborhood

Introduction… Odor Windbreaks Windbreaks may reduce odors in many ways  By facilitationg dust deposits  By physically intercepting dust  By diluting odorous gases with increased turbulence  By absorbing certain componants of the odor Phase 1 of the projetPhase 3 of the projet

ProblematicProblematic Many hypotheses  few are scientifically validated  Tyndall and Collecti (2000) propose the hypothesis that farms would almost become inodorous if all dust was removed.  It is demonstrated that windbreaks facilitate dust deposits (like they do for snow or sand)  So if dust contributes largely to odor transportation, windbreaks should reduce odors from livestock operations. This is a hypothesis which has not yet been validated scientifically with direct odor measurements.

The Project: « Influence of Windbreaks on Odors »  Initiated by Consumaj and their research team from Consumaj/ McGill University  Completed with the following teams l’UPA St-Jean Valleyfield ITA de la Pocatière  André Vézina  Financial Partners LEI (Livestock Environmental Initiative) CDAQ (Conseil pour le développement de l’agriculture du Québec) MAPAQ (Ministère de l’Agriculture et des pêcheries et de l’alimentation du Québec)

ObjectivesObjectives  Quantify the influence of natural windbreaks on odor dispersion/reduction  Evaluate the tree species influence on odor dispersion/reduction  Evaluate the influence of the distance between the windbreaks and the odor emission source  Quantify the impact of odor windbreaks on separating distances, that is, to estimate new seperating distances according to the odor windbreaks established.

The Phases  Phase 1  Validate the impact of dust on the sampling protocol and odor measurement  Phase 2  Develop a mobile odor generator  Phase 3  Experiment the influence of windbreaks on odor

Phase 1 - Dust  4 growing finishing piggeries  2 filtered samples and 2 non-filtered samples  Measure odor concentration Farm AFarm BFarm CFarm DAll Without Filter 261 ou/m³195 ou/m³272 ou/m³478 ou/m³306 ou/m³ With Filter180 ou/m³219 ou/m³368 ou/m³303 ou/m³274 ou/m³ Conclusion  Non-significant impact of dust on the sampling protocol

Phase 2- Odor Generator  Degasser principle, maximises the contact between manure and air  Uses fattening pigs’ manure  Built for a regular size truck box  Produces 500 to 1000 odor units/sec  Air flow of 3600 CFM  Odor production adjusted as needed

Phase 2- Odor Generator Manure tank Ventilator Variable speed Recirculation pump Dilution duct Air - manure contact 338 m²/m³ 8 degasser cubes

Phase 2- Odor Generator

Phase 3- Windbreaks  Do tests on existing mature windbreaks  Site with little interference with odors from animals  2 deciduous windbreaks  2 evergreen windbreaks  3 distances - odor source / windbreak (15m; 30m; 60m)  5 replicas (high density)  1 low density  1 high density  1 low density  1 high density

Site 1  Deciduous, low density

Site 2  Deciduous, high density

Site 3  Evergreens, low density

Site 4  Evergreens, high density

Phase 3- Windbreaks  Field Methodology

Phase 3- Windbreaks  Odor nuisance scale

Data Interpretation  Analyse odor generator samples with the dynamic olfactometer to measure the odor concentration and the odor nuisance.  Define the relation for each panellist Odor nuisance  Odor concentration  Transform the odor nuisance field data to an odor concentration for each position in the field

Data Interpretation  Combine those field odor concentrations with:  Odor source emission rate  Number of dilutions from source to field point  Wind direction  UTM coordinate  Absolute distance from source  Distance from source - parallel and perpendicular to wind direction  Make a large spreadsheet with all this information and use it for the analysis

Effect on Plume Length

Effect on Plume Area

Effect on Average Odor Dilution

 Windbreak performance to reduce odors is better when windbreak is at 15m from the source then at 30m or 60m  Windbreaks can reduce separation distance from livestock operations and neighbors by 19% to 25%  Windbreaks can reduce the area affected by the odor by 30% to 37%  Windbreaks can also reduce the odor concentration within the odor plume  Low porosity (below 30%) windbreak is needed to have a measurable effect on the odor ConclusionConclusion

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements  CDAQ  IESE  MAPAQ  McGill University  UPA St-Jean Valleyfield  André Vézina  Site Owners

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