This project was conducted with 96 finishing pigs in 4 identical rooms under closely
controlled ventilation and temperature. The objectives of the project were to determine if
air quality impacted pig performance, to identify and quantify the gasses emitted and to
determine emission rates of those gasses, and to compare gasses, dust, and performance
as influenced by three different levels of ozonation in the facility. The emission rates were
calculated and tabulated. The gasses detected were too numerous to detail here but are
detailed in the dissertation produced in conjunction with this project ( Kim-Yang, 2002).
Overall performance of the pigs was not affected although feed intake and gain were
reduced in the early stages at the highest ozone level. The differences were overcome by
later compensatory gain and there was no difference in the end. The ozone linearly
decreased odor detection thresholds as measured by the amount of dilution when odor is
first detected by a trained odor panel (dilution threshold). Ammonia, indole, and skatole
were linearly reduced by ozonation. P-cresol was reduced quadratically with a minimum at
0.05 ppm ozonation, but the other gases analyzed in detail (hydrogen sulfide, phenol, and
p-ethyphenol) were not affected. Dust levels on average increased quadratically with
ozone with a maximum at 0.05 ppm.