Effects of antibiotic-free pig rearing on ammonia emissions from five pairs of swine rooms in a wean-to-finish experiment

Ji Qin Ni, Chen Shi, Shule Liu, Brian T. Richert, Caitlin E. Vonderohe, John S. Radcliffe

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13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Antibiotic use and ammonia (NH3) emissions during animal production are two environmental issues of worldwide concern. However, the role of antibiotics on NH3 emissions is still unknown. This study evaluated the effects of rearing pigs without antibiotics on NH3 emissions from a swine experimental building starting with 657 piglets during a wean-to-finish production cycle of 154 days. Pigs were reared in two groups of 10 rooms that were divided into five 2-room pairs (P1–P5) and fed in nine dietary phases. Each pair consisted of one room without antibiotics (no antibiotics in the diet, water, or injectable) and another room as a positive control. Control animals were fed diets containing carbadox-10 (phases 1–4), chlortetracycline (CTC, phase 5), lincomix (phases 6–7), and tylan 40 (phases 8–9). Temperatures in the pig living space and the under-floor manure pit headspace were continuously measured. Ventilation rates at all wall fans and pit fans were obtained by continuous monitoring. Ammonia concentrations in the wall and pit fan exhaust air, and in room inlet air were measured with two multi-gas monitors. Only days that contained at least 18 h of data each day were validated and used. The study generated 1337 room-days of valid data of NH3 emission rates, with a data completeness of 88.6%. Daily mean NH3 emission patterns demonstrated large variations between the paired rooms and among different pairs. Within the individual 2-room pairs, no NH3 emission differences were found in P1 (rooms 1 and 2, p = 0.34) and P2 (rooms 3 and 4, p = 0.44). Significant differences were found in P3–P5 (p < 0.01). The antibiotic-free rooms emitted more NH3 from P3 and P4, but less NH3 from P5. However, the combined cycle mean NH3 emissions from the group of five antibiotic-free rooms and the group of five control rooms were 41.6 ± 10.5 and 39.4 ± 10.6 g d−1 AU−1 (mean ± standard deviation. AU = 500 kg live body weight), respectively. Therefore, there was no statistical difference in combined cycle mean NH3 emissions from rearing pigs with or without antibiotics (p = 0.78). This study also revealed that experiments with multiple replicates and long NH3 monitoring durations were necessary to avoid potential misinterpretation of experimental results.

Original languageEnglish
Article number104931
JournalEnvironment international
Volume131
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019

Funding

The research project was funded by the USDA/University of Arkansas project ( UA AES 91088-02 ). This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch project 1011562 . The work of Chen Shi was supported by the China Scholarship Council , China (Scholarship No. 201706350231 ). The work of Shule Liu was funded by the Agriculture Research Program of College of Agriculture and a Graduate Support of Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University . The authors thank swine building manager Brian Ford for assistance during this study. The research project was funded by the USDA/University of Arkansas project (UA AES 91088-02). This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch project 1011562. The work of Chen Shi was supported by the China Scholarship Council, China (Scholarship No. 201706350231). The work of Shule Liu was funded by the Agriculture Research Program of College of Agriculture and a Graduate Support of Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University. The authors thank swine building manager Brian Ford for assistance during this study.

FundersFunder number
Graduate Support of Purdue Research Foundation
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch
USDA/University of ArkansasUA AES 91088-02
U.S. Department of Agriculture1011562
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Purdue Climate Change Research Center, Purdue University
China Scholarship Council201706350231
China Scholarship Council

    Keywords

    • Air pollution
    • Air quality
    • Continuous measurement
    • Pig production
    • Pollutant emission
    • Veterinary antibiotics

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Environmental Science

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