Ammonia Emission Factor Guidance for Pig and Poultry Updated

The Environment Agency has recently published updated guidance on emission factors used to quantify the amount of ammonia emitted from permitted pig and poultry operations. The new emission factors are generally lower than the superseded values, reflecting updates to livestock systems since the previous guidance was established. The update will help farmers requiring Environmental Permits, and should also help to support planning applications of a similar nature.

What are Ammonia Emission Factors?

Emission factors are used to quantify the amount of ammonia emitted from agricultural sources. They are critical in the Environmental Permitting process and pollution inventory reporting in order to facilitate the assessment of  impacts associated with intensive livestock facilities on nearby ecological habitats. This ensures compliance with Best Available Technique (BAT) Associated Emission Levels (AELs). The Environment Agency has defined emission factors for different pig and poultry housing systems, pig slurry and manure storage and poultry litter storage, also taking into account certain mitigation methods. Ammonia emitted from these sources can damage sensitive habitats and form secondary particulate matter which is harmful to human health.

What are the Ammonia Emission Factor Updates?

Previous emission factors were based on research undertaken over 20 years ago. With advancements in farming practices including livestock nutrition and genetics, these are now considered outdated. The Environment Agency has reviewed recent research from a multi-year ammonia monitoring campaign undertaken by ADHB to help update emission factors to reflect modern livestock standards. The findings shows a marked reduction compared with previous values.

The updated emission factors will support pig and poultry farmers during assessments of air quality impacts, which are typically undertaken using dispersion modelling, as the lower values more accurately reflect modern farming practices. The updates should also make compliance with the BAT AELs easier to achieve.

Can Redmore Environmental Help You?

Redmore Environmental has over 80 years’ combined experience in the air quality industry, with experience in assessing emissions from a wide range of agricultural development types including supporting permitted operations, as well as undertaking Ammonia Assessments for planning applications.

If you have a requirement for an Ammonia Assessment for an agricultural Environmental Permit Application or planning, or need help with BAT Assessments or pollution inventory reporting, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our specialist team today to find out how we can help you.