Analysis of particle-borne swine house odors

Abstract

Dust from the air of a swine confinement building was collected with an electrostatic precipitator made of glass. The odorous compounds were extracted from the dust with wet diethyl ether. Acids were removed from the ether with sodium carbonate solution, converted to decyl esters, and analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. Phenols were next removed from the ether by passage through a column containing sodium hydroxide. The phenols were quantified by gas chromatography of their trimethylsilyl esters. Carbonyls were converted to trichlorophenylhydrazones and quantified by gas chromatography. Results of typical analyses are presented, and the mechanism by which dust amplifies the odor of swine house air is discussed.