Air quality inside pig buildings in relation with physiological stages

One of the missions of the Technical Institute for Pig is to study different aspects of pig breeding in relation with air quality inside the building. In this paper, data collected since several years have been analysed in order to compare air quality in relation with physiological stages and season. In each building, different parameters concerning physical aspects of air quality (ambient temperature, outside temperature and ventilation rate per animal) and environmental aspects as dust concentration, ammonia concentration in the ambience, ammonia emission in the exhaust air and odour emission were measured. Buildings involved in this paper are considering representing of buildings existing in major French pig facilities.Great differences were observed between physiological stages. Although dust concentrations were higherin post-weaning rooms, the highest concentrations of ammonia and odour were measured in finishingrooms. Season appears to have a great effect on dust, ammonia and odour whatever physiological stagesconsidered. Increasing concentrations of dust, ammonia and odour were observed in relation with pigweight. Whatever season and physiological stages, dust and ammonia concentrations were lower thanvalues recommended for the health protection of pig farmers .