Air Quality Resources for Alberta Livestock Producers

Agri-News
This Week

Events

Reports

Fact sheets

Health & Safety

Decision Making Tools

Recorded Webinars

Regulations

Contact information

Good air quality in livestock facilities can have a positive impact on the health and well-being of animals and humans. There are many implications and potential impacts of air quality on human and animal health. Animal production performance is also affected by air quality. Confined Feeding Operations (CFOs) can affect air quality through emissions of gases (ammonia and hydrogen sulfide), particulate matter, volatile organic. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) is committed to work proactively with livestock industry, government and non-government partners to address air quality concerns associated with livestock production in Alberta. The goal of AF is to make producers well informed and aware of technologies and management practices that will help them improve air quality in their operations. It is vital to the AF and the industry that air quality is not a barrier to sustainable growth of the industry. By working together with stakeholders, Alberta's livestock industry will continue to grow and prosper in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Purpose of the website:

To increase producers awareness and understanding of air emissions from CFO operations
To assist Alberta livestock producers in addressing air quality issues
To provide producers with tools and strategies that help them reduce the impact of air quality on surrounding neighbours and communities
To educate producers about risks of exposure to harmful pollutants found inside livestock buildings
To communicate air quality research results to producers and other stakeholders
To provide producers with contact information of the experts in case they need help and advice on air quality issues in their operations
To make CFO air quality standards, regulations and guidelines in other jurisdictions accessible to the stakeholders

Download the PDF: A Primer on Livestock Air Quality

Events
Manure Management Update

Date: January 14, 2019
Location: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Waste to Worth Conference

Date: April 22–26, 2019
Location: Minneapolis, USA

Reports

Recommendations to Reduce Non-Point Source Air Emissions in Alberta. (Clean Air Strategic Alliance)
The CASA Non-Point Source Project focused on non-point source emissions contributing to ambient PM2.5 and ozone in Alberta where air quality is approaching or not achieving the CAAQS. Since November 2015, project team members have been working to understand non-point sources in the province and to develop recommendations to better manage them. Project stakeholders came from government, non-government organizations, Airshed Organizations, and industry. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry actively involved in this project and contributed immensely to the project.
Livestock Air Quality Primer (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Ammonia and Particulate Matter Emissions Inventory for Confined Feeding Operations in Alberta. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Ammonia and Particulate Matter Emission Inventory for Confined Feeding Operations in Alberta (Third Edition). (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Ambient Air Quality Measurement around Confined Feeding Operations in Alberta. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
A Review of Beneficial Management Practices for Managing Undesirable Air Emissions from Confined Feeding Operations. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Odour and Air Quality: Manure Research Findings and Technologies: From Science to Social Issues. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Biofiltration for Odour Control from Swine Housing in Manitoba: MSc Thesis University of Manitoba 2000. (University of Manitoba)
Monitoring and Modelling Diurnal and Seasonal Odour and Gas Emission Profiles for Swine Grower/finisher Rooms: MSc Thesis University of Saskatchewan 2005. (University of Saskatchewan)
Odour Emissions from Swine Operations in Manitoba. (University of Manitoba)
Remote Monitoring and Analyzing Livestock Farm Odour Using Wireless Electronic Noses. (Guelph University)
Agricultural Air Quality Conservation Measures Reference Guide for Cropping Systems and General Land Management. (USDA)
Agricultural Air Quality Conservation Measures Reference Guide for Poultry and Livestock Production Systems. (USDA)
Guide to Agricultural PM10 Best Management Practices. (Arizona Department of Environmental Quality)
Air Quality Handbook for Conservation Management Practices for San Joaquin Valley. Minimizing Agricultural PM10 from Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs). Dairies and Feedlots. (San Joaquin Valley Region of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts)
Fugitive Dust Control Guideline & BMPs for Confined Heifer Replacement & Feeding Operations. (Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency)
Fugitive Dust Control Guideline & BMPs for Beef Cattle Feeding Operations. (Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency)
Air Quality Issues and Animal Agriculture: A Primer. (Congressional Research Service)

Fact Sheets
Shelterbelts

Shelterbelts for Livestock Farms in Alberta: Overview (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Shelterbelts for Livestock Farms in Alberta: Planning, Planting and Maintenance (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Shelterbelts for Livestock Farms in Alberta: Shelterbelt Planning Workbook (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)

General

Diet and Feed Management to Mitigate Airborne Emissions. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)
Airborne Emissions Sources and Management on Animal Agriculture Production Systems. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)
Shelterbelts: Design Guidelines for Farmyard, Field, Roadside, Livestock, Wildlife, and Riparian Buffer Plantings on the Prairies. (Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada)
Spring Planting and Care of Seedlings. (Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada)
Trees and Shrubs for Agroforestry on the Prairies. (Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada)
Controlling Weeds in Your Agroforestry Planting. (Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada)
Controlling Weeds in Your Agroforestry Planting: 2012 Plastic Mulch Retailers. (Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada)

Livestock Buildings

Principles of Measuring Indoor Air Quality (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Instruments for Measuring Indoor Air Quality (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Optimizing Ventilation System Performance (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)

Ammonia

Dust

Dust Control for Livestock Buildings. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Dust Emissions from Cattle Feeding Operations. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)
Practices to Reduce Dust and Particulates from Livestock Operations: (Iowa State University)

Odour

Hydrogen Sulphide

Practices to Reduce Hydrogen Sulfide from Livestock Operations. (Iowa State University)

Health and Safety

Ammonia & Respiratory Health. (The Horse.com)
Ammonia Emissions and Safety. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Respiratory Hazards in Agriculture. (Farm Safety Association)
Manure Gas Dangers. (Farm Safety Association)
Controlling Exposure to Poultry Dust. Guidance for Employers. (Health and Safety Executive, UK)
Respiratory Health on the Poultry Farm. (University of Delaware Cooperative Extension)
Respiratory Protection for Producers. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Minimizing Potential Human Health Risks involved in Hog Framing. (University of Saskatchewan)
Beware of on-Farm Manure Storage hazards. (Purdue University)
Hydrogen Sulfide: Human Health Aspects. (United Nations Environment Program, the International Labour Organization, and the World Health Organization)
Hydrogen Sulphide and Safety. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)

Decision Making Tools

National Air Quality Site Assessment Tool (NAQSAT). (USDA NRCS)
Ammonia Emissions Estimator. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Ammonia Losses from Liquid Manure Applications Calculator. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Manure Composting Calculator. (Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)
Dairy Gas Emission Model. (USDA)

Recorded Webinars

Air Quality-Air Mitigation Strategies. (Penn State University)
Air Quality-Housing and barnyards. (Penn State University)
Air Quality-Nutrition and Ammonia Emissions. (Penn State University)
Air Quality – The Issue. (Penn State University)
Planning Livestock and Poultry Facilities for Reduced Odour Risks. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)
Air Emission After Manure Land Applications including Subsurface Applications of Poultry Litter and Solid manure. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)
Hydrogen Sulphide, how serious Outdoor Air quality Concern. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)
Mitigating Air Emissions with Vegetative Environmental Buffers. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)
Feeding Strategies to Reduce Animal Air Emissions. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)
Controlling Ammonia and Air Emissions in Poultry Facilities. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)
Air Emissions from cattle field yard and dairy. (eXtension Air Quality in Animal Agriculture)

Regulations

Air Quality Expert Contact Information

Ike Edeogu,Technology Development Engineer
Phone: 780-415-2359

Atta Atia, Livestock Air Quality Specialist
Phone: 780-427-4215

For more information about the content of this document, contact Atta Atia.
This document is maintained by Laura Thygesen.
This information published to the web on January 4, 2007.
Last Reviewed/Revised on October 23, 2018.