Dust, odor and gas control in swine finishing barns through oil sprinkling

AGRICULTURALMU GuidePUBLISHED BY MU EXTENSION, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIASwine ManagementThe odors and gases produced by pigs raised in confinement buildings are a concern for producers working inside the buildings and for their neighbors living nearby. Poor air quality inside the building is a health and wellness issue for workers as well as the animals living in the buildings, while emissions of odors and gases can lead to complaints and nuisance lawsuits by neighbors. Research has shown that sprinkling vegetable oils on the floor and other pen surfaces in swine barns can significantly reduce airborne particulate matter (dust) concentrations. In a study recently conducted in northern Missouri, sprinkling soybean oil once a day in a swine finishing barn significantly reduced total suspended particulates (TSP) and particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10). At an overall operational cost of about $1.00 per pig space (about $0.40 per finishing pig) for the basic oil sprinkling system, this technology appears to be cost-effective for swine producers.Amy M. Schmidt (Extension Agricultural Engineer, Food Science and Engineering Unit and Commercial Agriculture Program), Albert J. Heber (Extension Agricultural Engineer, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department, Purdue University)New November 2018 -- websit