The Evaluation of the Levels of Greenhouse Gases due to Activities Carried Out on a Livestock Farm

Abstract

The paper presents the results of tests carried out on a Romanian farm with the purpose of assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions specific to agricultural activities. GHG emissions from the agricultural sector come mainly from the livestock sector, manure management, land cultivation and fertilization. The tests carried out mainly focused on the CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions generated from related manure storage activities as well as the emission level identified in animal shelters. For a correct interpretation of the results obtained, at the same time with the measurement of the GHG concentration, the weather parameters were measured: temperature, humidity and wind direction. The results obtained revealed the presence of these compounds in the air in the animal shelters and in the ambient air (CO2 and CH4) in concentrations that are in the range identified in similar studies around the world. The pollutant dispersion in the air leads to a reduction in the pollutant concentration with increasing distance from the observed source as well as the measurement points at 50, 100 and 500 m, that reaches values below the detection limit of the instrument for CH 4 and N2O, whereas in the case of CO2 it reaches the level of the usual concentration in the ambient air.