Smart systems against odour from pig farms

On and around pig farms, the odour emission of the livestock farm and the resulting odour pollution are a constant problem.

On these farms – regardless of the activities taking place – the smell of animals and manure can be noticed all the time.

The following case study was prepared by our Italian partner company Labio Test Srl. based on its experience in Italy. Since 1988 Labio Test Srl. has placed great emphasis on keeping air clean and is one of the leading members of the international odour control industry.

Telepszagtalanítás has maintained a close relationship with the Italian company for more than 20 years, and for years we have been the exclusive distributor of its products in Hungary. The experience and guidance passed on by the specialists of Labio Test Srl. help us deliver our odour control technology to all our partners with the best possible quality and efficiency.

Regulations on the distance between dwellings and animal houses

Our Italian partner is well acquainted with the national and local regional regulations that set the distance between livestock farms and dwellings. This matters because these regulations directly affect the health and well-being of people living in the surrounding areas.

The distances set in regional and municipal regulations can vary depending on the type of farming.

• Type of farming: whether it is intensive or extensive.

• Size of the herd: the number of animals and the size of the farm can affect the required distances.

• Climatic and geographical conditions: local conditions can affect the spread of odours and pathogens.

• Manure management techniques: the different storage and handling methods are taken into account.

• Wastewater treatment systems used: for example, whether wastewater is treated in accumulation tanks or basins, by mechanical, biological or chemical treatment.

These regulations were developed to minimise the risk of air pollution and to prevent conflicts between agricultural and residential activities.

In Italy there are no mandatory regulations applying uniformly at national or regional level; rather, suggestions and recommendations are issued, aimed at minimising environmental and polluting impacts and at promoting proper coexistence between farms, plants and urban settlements.

This means that the odour emission problems of livestock farming sometimes have to be handled with a specific approach, as our Italian partner company did in the case below.

Critical ammonia emissions in pig farming

A pig farming company based in central Italy approached our Italian partner because local residents had for some time been complaining about disturbing and unpleasant odours coming from the facility. The odour emission arose in two specific areas: odour spread into the air through the openings of the pig farm, and an unbearable stench also came continuously from the farm's wastewater storage.

To reduce the unpleasant odours from the piggery, the first step was to treat the air leaving through the openings on the sides of the building and through doors and windows. The most effective solution in this case was the use of an osmogenic barrier.

This is the best solution when the odour emission is not hazardous but the spread of strong and unpleasant odours has to be stopped quickly. The technology is simple to set up and can be implemented at any site or plant.

Of the pig farm's nine buildings, the pigs are housed in two, which have a total of twenty-two fans for air extraction. All the fans are of the same type and run simultaneously to ensure proper air exchange. Four nozzles per fan were mounted directly on the extractors.

The farm's two wastewater storage tanks are located next to each other. At certain times of the year this wastewater is pumped into a tractor-drawn tanker and spread on the fields. When it is mixed and pumped into the tanker, however, significant unpleasant odours are released, which residents of the surrounding areas also noticed before the intervention.

For this critical odour problem, the Italian partner recommended the La.Biofog 400 mobile high-pressure atomising system, which can easily be moved when needed, even within the facility, to wherever the unit is required.

The La.BioFog 400 system was placed between the two tanks, and the special odour control products are atomised through it.

Results achieved

By using site odour control systems, the pig farm saw a significant improvement in its odour problems, and no further complaints came from residents or the authorities in the area.

Based on the results achieved, the pig farm's management decided to apply the same osmogenic barrier technology at its other sites as well.