Stinky Animal Gas Clings to Dust

As if that wasn't enough, there is a minor threat that contained buildings could actually explode due to gassy dust buildup.

Zhang said that while there is no official report of an animal building exploding, "methane digesters on animal facilities have the potential to explode." Similar explosions have occurred in grain elevators.

To resolve the problem, the scientists suggest that animal keepers improve ventilation, frequently clean their structures, properly treat manure and add oil or fat to feed.

Gary Riskowski, a professor and head biological and agricultural engineer at Texas A&M University, told Discovery News that "the key to this paper is that they are trying to develop a method to measure how much odor actually attaches to particles," which may lead to ways of diluting the gas and its malodorous properties.

Pigs are particularly stinky, Riskowski indicated, even though their ammonia emissions are slightly lower than those found in poultry structures.

"Pig facilities have a more complex mix of odorants and the characteristic swine odor comes primarily from gases other than ammonia so many people will find swine odor more objectionable," he explained.

Related Links:

Jen Viegas' blog: Born Animal

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