Variation of PM and PM in emissions and chemical compositions in different seasons from a manure-belt laying hen house.

Particulate matter (PM) emissions from animal houses and the corresponding hazard have raised increasing attention during recent years. In this study, a large-scale manure-belt laying hen house located in Beijing, China was selected as the experimental site for the study of the emission rates (ER) and chemical compositions of PM and PM in 3 seasons, namely, summer, autumn, and winter, to investigate their possible influences on ambient air quality and human health. The results showed that the mean ER from the hen house in summer, autumn, and winter were 9.0 ± 1.7, 2.4 ± 0.7, and 1.9 ± 0.7 mg hen d for PM (P < 0.05), and 30.7 ± 1.1, 12.8 ± 1.5, and 10.9 ± 0.9 mg hen d for PM (P < 0.05), respectively. Moreover, large amounts of secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA) were observed inside the house in summer, accounting for 11.4 and 9.6% of indoor PM and PM mass, respectively, compared with the value of <1.4% in autumn and winter. Among the 31 detected elements in indoor PM, arsenic concentration exceeded the threshold set in legislation. Zn had a notably high concentration of 3,403 to 4,432 ng m in indoor PM, which was 28 to 71 times higher than that in ambient PM. The findings suggest that the poultry-raising house emit PM and PM containing SIA and toxic heavy-metal elements such as As and Zn to the ambient with much more emissions in summer than in autumn and winter. Considering the increasing development of poultry-raising farming in China, the potential hazard derived from the exhaust of PM and PM should be focused on, especially during summer.