Gaseous health hazards in livestock confinement buildings

Authors

• Juhani Kangas Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health, P.O. Box 93 SF-70701 KUOPIO (Finland)
• Kyösti Louhelainen Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health, P.O. Box 93 SF-70701 KUOPIO (Finland)
• Kaj Husman Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health, P.O. Box 93 SF-70701 KUOPIO (Finland)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72239

Abstract

Gas concentrations were measured on 16 farms (eight cattle farms, five piggeries, three poultry yards) mainly during wintertime. The gases were ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and other sulfides. The mean concentrations of ammonia varied between 8—43 cm3/m3 in the air of livestock building. In the poultry yards the mean concentration of ammonia was highest; it was lower in piggeries and especially in cowhouses. Carbon dioxide concentrations were 500—3500 cm3/m3 in cowhouses, 1000—4000 cm3/m3 in hoghouses and 600—4000 cm3/m3 in poultry yards. Very low concentrations of methane and sulfur compounds were found in the livestock confinement buildings. It is obvious that in normal working situations only ammonia of the measured gases exceeds the threshold limit value (25 cm3/m3). High ammonia concentrations can be expected in the floor type poultry confinement buildings especially when manure is left on the floor for several months. In such cases effective mechanical ventilation is the only way to keep the ammonia level acceptable.