• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.358-383
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• 2015

The concept of 'carbon footprint' has been developed as a means of quantifying the specific emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) that cause global warming. Although there are still neither clear definitions of the term nor rules for units or the scope of its estimation, it is broadly accepted that the carbon footprint is the total amount of GHGs, expressed as $CO_2$ equivalents, emitted into the atmosphere directly or indirectly at all processes of the production by an individual or organization. According to the ISO/TS 14067, the carbon footprint of a product is calculated by multiplying the units of activity of processes that emit GHGs by emission factor of the processes, and by summing them up. Based on this, 'carbon labelling' system has been implemented in various ways over the world to provide consumers the opportunities of comparison and choice, and to encourage voluntary activities of producers to reduce GHG emissions. In the agricultural sector, as a judgment basis to help purchaser with ethical consumption, 'low-carbon agricultural and livestock products certification' system is expected to have more utilization value. In this process, the 'cradle to gate' approach (which excludes stages for usage and disposal) is mainly used to set the boundaries of the life cycle assessment for agricultural products. The estimation of carbon footprint for the entire agricultural and forestry sector should take both removals and emissions into account in the "National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report". The carbon accumulation in the biomass of perennial trees in cropland should be considered also to reduce the total GHG emissions. In order to accomplish this, tower-based flux measurements can be used, which provide a direct quantification of $CO_2$ exchange during the entire life cycle. Carbon footprint information can be combined with other indicators to develop more holistic assessment indicators for sustainable agricultural and forestry ecosystems.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2024

This study was conducted to estimate the effects of the forage process on rumen fermentation characteristics and greenhouse gas emissions of rye. Rye was grown at the Taeyoung Livestock farm and harvested at the heading stage. The harvested rye (5 kg) was sub-sampled for fresh forage, hay, and silage in triplicates. The sub-sampled rye was freeze-dried or air-dried for fresh forage or rye hay, respectively. For rye silage, the sub-sampled rye forage was ensiled into a 10 L mini bucket silo and stored for 90 days. For 72 h rumen incubation, each forage (0.3 g) was placed into the incubation bottle with the rumen mixture (30 mL) in quadruplicates. After the incubation, total gas was measured and sub-sampled for CO₂ and CH₄ analyses, and the bottle content was centrifuged for in vitro digestibilities of dry matter (IVDMD) and neutral detergent fiber (IVNDFD), and rumen fermentation characteristics. Silage had higher crude protein, crude ash, and acid detergent fiber concentrations than fresh forage and hay but lower non-fiber carbohydrates and relative feed value (p<0.05). And, silage had higher lactic acid bacteria than the other forages but lower pH (p<0.05). After 72 h incubation in the rumen, fresh forage had higher IVDMD and butyrate content than the other forages (p<0.05). However, silage had higher rumen pH and propionate content than the other forages but lower A:P ratio (p<0.05). Regarding greenhouse gases, silage had lowest total gas (mL/g DMD and NDFD) and CH₄ (mL/g DMD and NDFD) emissions, while fresh forage had lowest CO₂ (mL/g DMD) emission (p<0.05). Therefore, this study concluded that the ensiling process of rye can effectively mitigate greenhouse gas emissions of Hanwoo.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1103-1114
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• 2009

In this study, the environmental behavior of malodor pollutants (MPs: $H_2S$, $CH_3SH$, DMS, and DMDS) was investigated around areas influenced by strong anthropogenic processes based on observations and modeling study (a CALPUFF dispersion model). The MP emission concentrations were measured from 8 industrial source regions (tire plants (S1-S3), waste water disposal plant (S4), and oil refinery (S5) in an urban center area and paper mill/incineration plant (S6) and livestock feedlots (S7-S8) in Ungsang area) in Yangsan city during a fall period in 2008 (21 October 2008). Overall, the most MPs emitted from the urban center area were found to affect the malodor pollution in their downwind areas during early morning (06:00 LST) and nighttime (18:00 and 21:00 LST), compared with those in the Ungsang area. For malodor intensity, the most MPs in the urban center area (especially S1 and S2) were found to be a significant contributor, whereas $CH_3SH$ and $H_2S$ in the Ungsnag area (especially S6) were the dominant contributor. The model study showed agreement in the spatial distributions of simulated MPs with those of the observations. The largest impact of MPs in the urban center area on the malodor pollution in its residential areas occurred at S1, S2, and S3 sites during nighttime, while that of MPs in the Ungsang area occurred at S6 and S8 sites. This may be caused mainly by the high MP emissions and in part by wind conditions (prevailing northeasterly winds with low wind speeds of 2-3 m/s).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1698-1707
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• 2013

Optimization of the dietary formulation is the most effective way to reduce methane. Nineteen feed ingredients (brans, vegetable proteins, and grains) were evaluated for their potential to generate methane and change methanogen diversity using an in vitro ruminal fermentation technique. Feed formulations categorized into high, medium and low production based on methane production of each ingredient were then subjected to in vitro fermentation to determine the real methane production and their effects on digestibility. Methanogen diversity among low, medium and high-methane producing groups was analyzed by PCR-DGGE. The highest methane production was observed in Korean wheat bran, soybean and perilla meals, and wheat and maize of brans, vegetable protein and cereal groups, respectively. On the other hand, corn bran, cotton seed meal and barley led to the lowest production in the same groups. Nine bacteria and 18 methanogen 16s rDNA PCR-DGGE dominant bands were identified with 83% to 99% and 92% to 100% similarity, respectively. Overall, the results of this study showed that methane emissions from ruminants can be mitigated through proper selection of feed ingredients to be used in the formulation of diets.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2004

The QUAL2E and Box-Jenkins time series model were applied to the Miho river, a main tributary of the Geum river, to predict water quality. The models are widely used to predict water quality in rivers and watersheds because of its accuracy. As results of the study, we concluded as follows: Pollutant loadings in upper stream of Miho river were determined to 57,811 kgBOD/d, 19,350 kgTN/d, and 5,013 kgTP/d. The loading of TN in Mushim river was 19,450 kgTN/d, respectively. As the mass loadings were compared with pollutant sources, it concluded that the farming livestock contributed highly to mass emissions of BOD and TP and the population contributed to TN mass loading. The observed water quality values were applied to the models to verify and the models were used to predict the water quality. The QUAL2E Model predicted the concentrations of DO, BOD, TN and TP with high accuracy, but not for E-Coli. The Box-Jenkins time series model also showed high prediction for DO, BOD and TN. However, the concentrations of TP and E-Coli were poorly predicted. The result shows that the QUAL2E model is more applicable in Miho basin for prediction of water quality compared to Box-Jenkins time series model.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.55-63
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• 2022

Odors emitted from pig houses have been a constant root of legal issues in pig farming. These gases are among the main causes of health and mental stresses to nearby communities, so policymakers and researchers continuously study to reduce the concentration of odorous gases from pig facilities. A continuous field experiment proved that the concentration of odor emissions inside the pig houses is highly dependent on ventilation rate, breeding details, and animal activities. However, the standard odor emission rate worldwide widely varies due to differences in pig house designs and ventilation requirements. Thus, this study aimed to measure the odor emission rates, considering the actual condition of selected Korean pig houses, through field measurement. The odor measurements were performed at three different pig production facilities without odor abatement technologies. The target experimental pig houses were buildings for weaning, growing, and fattening pigs. Results showed that the actual ventilation rate in target pig houses falls below the standard ventilation requirement of pigs, resulting in high odor concentrations inside the pig houses.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.671-678
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• 2023

Objective: Previous studies isolated the thermophilic ammonium-tolerant (TAT) bacterium Bacillus sp. TAT105 that grew in composting swine manure with the assimilation of ammonium nitrogen and reduced ammonia emissions during composting. Those studies also investigated the potential for applications of TAT105 to composting. It was observed that the concentration of TAT bacteria, phylogenetically close to TAT105, increased during composting. The objectives of this study were to identify the phylogenetic placement of these TAT bacteria and investigate their distribution in various composts. Methods: The phylogenetic placement of TAT105 was examined based on the sequence of 16S ribosomal RNA gene. The genomic DNA homology between TAT105 and the type strains of bacterial species that were phylogenetically close to TAT105 were examined by DNA-DNA hybridization. Moreover, the tolerances of these strains to NH₄Cl and NaCl were analyzed using a cultivation method. Concentrations of TAT bacteria in various composts were evaluated using an agar medium specific to TAT bacteria and polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Results: TAT105 was most closely related to Bacillus thermolactis and Bacillus kokeshiiformis. Many variants of these species have been detected in various environments, including composts. The type strains of these species displayed TAT characteristics that were similar to those of TAT105. Among the composts examined in this study, TAT bacteria were detected at high concentrations (10⁵ to 10⁹ colony forming units per gram of dry matter) in most of the composts made from cattle manure, swine manure, bark, and excess sludge. Conclusion: TAT bacteria comprised B. thermolactis, B. kokeshiiformis, and their phylogenetically close relatives. They were considered to be adaptable to composting of some certain materials, and a favorable target for searching for strains with some useful function that could be applied to composting of these materials.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.457-464
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• 2023

The rendering residue generated by rendering disposal, an eco-friendly livestock carcass disposal method, is a useful agricultural resource. Methods for recycling this are being actively researched, and this study investigated the impact of applying rendered residue directly to soil on crop productivity and the agricultural environment. The chemical properties of the rendering residue were examined. The pH, OM, T-N, T-P, CaO, K₂O, and MgO content values were 5.47%, 59.8%, 9.22%, 2.96%, 2.16%, 0.51% and 0.10%, respectively. Treatment conditions were divided into control, inorganic fertilizer, and rendering residue, and rendering residue corresponding to 50, 100, and 200% nitrogen content was applied based on the amount of inorganic fertilizer nitrogen input. Greenhouse gases and ammonia were collected during the cultivation period. Rendering residue increased both the yield and growth of peppers and was effective in improving nutrients such as pH and OM of the soil after harvest. However, compared to inorganic fertilizer treatment, it increased emissions of nitrous oxide and methane as well as ammonia. It is judged that the direct agricultural use of rendering residue is difficult, and a utilization method is needed.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.279-294
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• 2024

Agriculture has played a significant role in the national economy, contributing to food security, driving economic growth, and safeguarding the dietary habits of the population. Korean agriculture has been compelled to focus on intensive farming due to its limited cultivation area, excessive input costs, and the limitations of agricultural mechanization. In the Republic of Korea (R.O.K), the concept of environmentally friendly animal agriculture began to be introduced in the early 2000s. This concept ultimately aims to cultivate sustainable animal agriculture (SAA) through environmentally friendly production practices, ensuring the healthy rearing of animals to supply safe animal products. Despite the government's efforts, there are still significant challenges in implementing environmentally friendly agriculture and SAA in the R.O.K. Therefore, the objective of this review is to establish the direction that the animal agriculture sector should take in the era of climate crisis, and to develop effective strategies for SAA tailored to the current situation in the R.O.K by examining the trends in SAA in the U.S. The animal agriculture sector in the U.S. has been working towards creating a SAA system where humans, animals, and the environment can coexist through government initiatives, industry research, technological support, and individual efforts. Efforts have been made to reduce emissions like carbon, and improve factors affecting the environment such as the carbon footprint, odor, and greenhouse gases associated with animal agriculture processes for animals such as cattle and pigs. The transition of the U.S. towards SAA appears to be driven by both external goals related to addressing climate change and the primary objectives of responding to the demand for safe animal products, expanding consumption, and securing competitiveness in overseas export markets. The demand for animal welfare, organic animal products, and processed goods has been increasing in the U.S. consumer market. A major factor in the transformation of the U.S. animal agriculture sector in terms of livestock specifications is attributed to environmentally friendly practices such as high-quality feed, heat stress reduction, improvements in reproductive ability and growth period reduction, and efforts in animal genetic enhancement.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.283-294
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• 2004

Air quality in the livestock waste compost pilot plant at the Colligate Livestock Station was assessed to quantity the emissions of aerial contaminants and evaluate the degree of correlation between them for different operation strategies; with the ventilation types and agitation of compost pile, in this study. The parameters analyzed to reflect the level of air quality in the livestock waste compost pilot plant were the gaseous contaminants; ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and odor concentration, the particulate contaminants; inhalable dust and respirable dust, and the biological contaminants; total airborne bacteria and fungi. The mean concentrations of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and odor concentration in the compost pilot plant without agitation were 2.45ppm, 19.96ppb, and 15.8 when it was naturally ventilated, and 7.61ppm, 31.36ppb, and 30.2 when mechanically ventilated. Those with agitation were 5.50ppm, 14.69ppb, and 46.4 when naturally ventilated, and 30.12ppm, 39.91ppb, and 205.5 when mechanically ventilated. The mean concentrations of inhalable and respirable dust in the compost pilot plant without agitation were 368.6${\mu}g$/$m^3$ and 96.0${\mu}g$/$m^3$ with natural ventilation, and 283.9${\mu}g$/$m^3$ and 119.5${\mu}g$/$m^3$ with mechanical ventilation. They were also observed with agitation to 208.7${\mu}g$/$m^3$ and 139.8${\mu}g$/$m^3$ with natural ventilation, and 209.2${\mu}g$/$m^3$ and 131.7${\mu}g$/$m^3$ with mechanical ventilation. Averaged concentrations of total airborne bacteria and fungi in the compost pilot plant without agitation were observed to 28,673cfu/$m^3$ and 22,507cfu/$m^3$ with natural ventilation, and 7,462cfu/$m^3$ and 3,228cfu/$m^3$ with mechanical ventilation. They were also observed with agitation to 19,592cfu/$m^3$ and 26,376cfu/$m^3$ with the natural ventilation, and 18,645cfu/$m^3$ and 24,581cfu/$m^3$ with the mechanical ventilation. It showed that the emission rates of gaseous pollutants, such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and odor concentration, in the compost pilot plant operated with the mechanical ventilation and with the agitation of compost pile were higher than those with the natural ventilation and without the agitation. While the concentrations of inhalable dust and total airborne bacteria in the compost pilot plant with the natural ventilation and with the agitation, the concentrations of respirable dust and total airborne fungi in the compost pilot plant with the mechanical ventilation and agitation were higher than those with the natural ventilation and without the agitation of compost pile. It was statistically proved that indoor temperature and relative humidity affected the release of particulates and biological pollutants, and ammonia and hydrogen sulfide were believed primary malodorous compounds emitted from the compost pilot plant.