Ammonia emissions from a broiler farm: spatial variability of airborne concentrations in the vicinity and impact on adjacent woodland

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2012-06, Vol.184 (6), p.3775-3787
• Main Authors: von Bobrutzki, Kristina, Ammon, Christian, Berg, Werner, Einert, Peter, Fiedler, Merike, Müller, Hans-Joachim, Scherer, Dieter, Strohbach, Björn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Air quality; Ammonia; Ammonia - analysis; Animal Husbandry; Animals; Atmosphere; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biodiversity; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology; Emissions; Environment; Environmental impact; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Farms; Forests; Livestock; Measurement techniques; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nitrogen; Nitrogen cycle; Pine trees; Plant Development; Plants - classification; Plants - drug effects; Poultry; Studies; Vegetation; Vegetation surveys; Ventilation; Woodlands
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-2223-3

Agricultural NH 3 emissions affect air quality and influence the nitrogen cycle. In the subject study, NH 3 emissions from a broiler farm and the resulting atmospheric concentrations in the immediate vicinity during three growing cycles have been quantified. Additionally, vegetation along a transect in an adjacent woodland was analysed. The emissions were as high as 10 kg NH 3  h −1 and the atmospheric concentrations ranged between 33 and 124 μg NH 3  m −3  per week in the immediate vicinity. Measurements of the atmospheric concentrations over 7 weeks showed a substantial decline of mean concentrations (based on a 3-week average) from ∼13 to