Odor Monitoring By Trained Odor Assessors Downwind Of A Swine Production Operation

摘要

Odor occurrences downwind from three production sites of a 5000-sow farrowing-to-finishing operation located in a rural area of Canadian Prairies were measured by two trained odor assessors for six months from May to October 2003. A total of 105 locations from 0.2 to 6.4 km downwind of the swine sites were measured. Swine odors were detected in 16.1% of all measurements, which resulted in a total of 921 swine odors. Most measurements (81.7%) were taken during 06:00 to 08:00 AM and 17:00 to 19:00 PM;during these periods, the odor detection frequencies were 13.7% and 20.2%, respectively. The farthest location in which odor was detected was 6.0 km from the swine site. Five locations never detected any odor, including the farthest location (6.4 km). October and May had the highest odor detection frequency of 25.7% and 24%, which might be caused by frequent manure land applications. Odor intensities 1 and 2 (very faint and faint) were reported the most (61.4%). Intensities 4 and 5 (strong and very strong odors) were reported the least (19.0%>); these intensities occurred most frequently in June and October and least frequently in July and August. A linear relationship existed between intensity and offensiveness (r = 0.832). All odors with intensity 1and 89.7% of odors with intensity 2 were considered not annoying or somewhat annoying by the assessors. This may shed light on setting acceptable odor intensity criterion. Diurnal odor occurrence and odor detection frequency at various distances and directions from the swine sites were also discussed.