VPE 511: Environment and Environmental Hygiene (2+1)

SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION IN ANIMAL HOUSES

• It is necessary to know
• The impurities that may be present in the atmospheric air
• How they accumulate
• To what degree they can be tolerated by man and domesticated animals and
• How polluted air may be purified.

The composition of atmospheric air

• Pure air is a mixture of various gases including a quantity of water vapour, it has the following approximate composition by volume
• Oxygen : 20.94%
• Carbondioxide : 0.28 to 0.04 %
• Nitrogen : 78.04%
• Argon : 0.94%
• Helium, Krypton, neon, etc. : Traces
• There are also traces of ammonia, ozone, nitric acid, free hydrogen and methane on an average air contains about 1.4% moisture which exists as a gas and not in the form of droplets.

Pollution of atmospheric air

• Can be man made are naturally occurring the main sources of air pollution are stationary and area sources, mobile sources, agricultural sources and natural sources.

Stationery and area sources

• A stationary source of air pollution refers to an emission source that does not move (Chemical and manufacturing) industries. Stationary sources are defined as large emitters who release relatively consistent qualities and quantities of pollutants.
• The term area source is used to describe the many smaller stationery sources located together whose individual emissions may be low but whose collective emissions can be significant.

Mobile sources

• Mobile source of air pollution refers to a source that is capable of moving under its own power.
• In general mobile sources imply on road transportation. In addition there is also a non road or off road category that that includes gas powered lawn tools and mowers, farm and construction equipments, recreational vehicles, boats, planes and trains.

Agricultural sources

• Animals also eliminate CO₂ into the atmosphere
• The following is the average figures for the hourly excretion of CO2.
• Lactating cow : 5 .8 cubic feet
• Horses : 3.9 cubic feet
• Swine : 1.3 cubic feet
• Sheep : 0.55 cubic feet
• From animal houses ammonia is emitted, ammonia is also emitted from manure storage areas or from the land after the manure is applied in crop production, the misapplication of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides can potentially result in aerial drift of these materials.

Natural sources

• An erupting volcano emits particulate matter and gages, forest and prairie fires can emit large quantities of pollutants, plants and tress emit hydrocarbons, and dust storms can create large amounts of particulate matter.