A review of literature concerning odors, ammonia, and dust from broiler production facilities: 1. Odor concentrations and emissions

Odors from broiler production facilities are the consequence of odorant molecules produced by microbial activity in the litter. The impact of odor on the public can be evaluated by the frequency, intensity, duration, and offensiveness of the odors. Currently, much of the work reported in the scientific literature is directed toward measurement of odor intensity by determination of the odor concentration through threshold olfactometry. Several researchers have reported values for odor concentration in or near broiler production facilities, ranging from 80 to 2,000 odor units, and some researchers have reported odor emission rates. This paper briefly reviews measurement methods for odor concentration and intensity, summarizes the values reported in the literature for odor concentration for broiler houses, discusses the relationship between odor concentration measurements and odor intensity, and reviews the literature to determine if a correlation between odor concentration and ammonia and dust emissions exists.