Ammonia emissions from intensive rearing of pigs at high levels

rearing pigClick to enlarge
Ammonia emissions from intensive rearing of pigs continue to be at high levels in Germany.
Source: Martina Berg / Fotolia.com

Extensive emissions of Ammonia into the air remain a well-known problem for years. This has resulted in oversupply with nutrients, processes of acid deposition and the loss of biological diversity in ecosystems. The largest part of ammonia emissions in Germany is generated in the agriculture sector (95 %), with 52 % stemming from cattle farming and 20 % from intensive rearing of pigs.

Between 1990 and 2012 ammonia emissions in the agriculture sector were reduced by about 22 %. The main reason for this was the reduced number of animals as a result of reduced animal breeding practice in Germany after the reunification. However, an opposing trend has been noticed within intensive rearing of pigs. The number of pigs rose from 26.8 Mio to 28.3 Mio in the period from 2009 to 2012. Read more on the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) website "Thru.de".

Share:
Article:
Printer-friendly version
Tags:
 ammonia emission  animal rearing  cattle rearing  pig fattening  PRTR  Pollutant Release and Transfer Register