Seasonal characteristics on the ammonia emissions of a typical large-scale pig farm in the Yangtze River Delta, China
Ammonia (NH3) is a key PM2.5 precursor that significantly contributes to haze formation and air quality degradation. Livestock farming accounts for more than 50 % of China's annual NH3 emissions, and large-scale pig farms represent a major anthropogenic source. However, the current systematic k...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Environment: X |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590162125000449 |
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| Summary: | Ammonia (NH3) is a key PM2.5 precursor that significantly contributes to haze formation and air quality degradation. Livestock farming accounts for more than 50 % of China's annual NH3 emissions, and large-scale pig farms represent a major anthropogenic source. However, the current systematic knowledge of NH3 emissions characteristics from large-scale pig farms is still deficient, and there are insufficient studies localized for China. We conducted year-round intensive monitoring of NH3 emissions from a representative large-scale pig farm in the Yangtze River Delta to quantify the interactions between growth stage and season. In terms of seasonal variation, NH3 emissions peaked in summer at 3.95 kg NH3·year−1·head−1 and were lowest in winter at 1.53 kg NH3·year−1·head−1. For the growth stages, we found that the average annual emission factors for piglet houses, nursery houses, fattening houses, gestation houses, and farrowing houses (with some piglets included) were 0.24, 0.84, 1.83, 3.55, and 5.61 kg NH3·year−1·head−1. In addition, this study found that temperature was the key driver of NH3 emissions (mean Spearman's r = 0.66, P < 0.001), whereas the overall correlation for humidity was weaker, with emissions significantly suppressed only in winter when ventilation was inadequate (average r = 0.49, P < 0.001). Based on local conditions, the farm-level annual NH3 emission factor was determined to be 2.45 kg NH3·year−1·head−1, highlighting the critical summer period for targeted mitigation. These findings provide a scientific basis for refining regional emission inventories and for developing stage- and season-specific abatement strategies that support PM2.5 control and the sustainable transformation of intensive pig production in the Yangtze River Delta. |
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| ISSN: | 2590-1621 |