Effects of Sawdust, Peat Moss, Cocopeat, and Biochar on the Reduction of Specified Offensive Odor Substances in the Cattle Barn

Abstract

To solve the odor problem occurring in cattle barns, it was evaluated how the inputs of sawdust, peat moss,cocopeat, and biochar affect the odor derived from cattle barns. The odor removal experiment was performedon 22 specified offensive odor substances. In the concept of complex odor, the odor substances mainly gene rated from cattle manure were trimethylamine, dimethyl sulfide, hydrogen sulfide, butanoic acid, acetaldehyde,pentanal, etc. Also, trace amounts of ammonia, propanoic acid, 3-methylbutanoic acid, propanal, styrene, m xylene, butanone, and methyl isobutyl ketone were generated. For all odor substances, biochar and peat mossgenerally showed high odor removal efficiency, and cocopeat and sawdust had low odor removal efficiency. The odor removal rate for the complex odor unit was biochar (70.7%) > peat moss (62.2%) > cocopeat (52.9%)> sawdust (29.2%), confirming that biochar and peat moss are effective odor-reducing livestock litter.