Review of the Methodologies for Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Livestock Farming: Pig Farms as a Case of Study

Abstract

The global emission and accumulation of gases due to livestock farming is estimated to contribute to about 14.5% of the global warming effect due to greenhouse gases (GHG). Pig farming represents 9% of global livestock GHG emissions, without considering other activities of pork production process, such as feed production. Most of information about pig farms GHG emissions is based on theoretical calculations with not too much accuracy. Hence, there is a critical need to study the best sampling and analytical techniques (portable or not) that can be used to map their contribution to GHG emissions. The selection of the best analytical detection method becomes important for public policies on climate change, and in order to evaluate animal and manure handling practices to reduce GHG and to combat global warming. In this article, different techniques, which could be used to measure the emissions of GHG from livestock, are reviewed, showing the advantages and disadvantages of each technique, with special emphasis on those already used in studies about GHG from pig farms and those that allow the simultaneous determination of several species of gases. Open chambers equipped with photoacoustic multi-gas monitor have been the techniques most employed in intensive pig farms studies. Gas Chromatography coupled to different detectors has been only widely used in pig farms to monitor simultaneously several GHG species using previous sampling devices. However, there are no studies in the literature based on extensive pig farms. In these systems, micrometeorological techniques could be a promising strategy.

Keywords: Greenhouse gases; climate change mitigation; global warming; measurement methodology; pig farming.