Long-Term Experiment on Gas Concentration Distribution in an Open Dairy Barn

Livestock farming has a significant role as a source of atmospheric pollution. In detail, dairy farming is pointed out as having a crucial role in climate change and air quality reduction. with effects on animal and human health and the biodiversity of ecosystems. The objective of this research study was to analyze the distribution of ammonia ((NH3) , methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O) at various sampling locations (SLs) in an open dairy barn located in the Mediterranean area. The experiment took place in an open cubicle free-stall dairy barn in Sicily (Italy). Photo-acoustic spectroscopy was applied to measure NH3, CH4, CO2, and N2O concentrations at 12 sampling locations in the barn. Data were acquired during one year from September 2021 to August 2022. Data concentrations at different SLs were organized into a dataset and statistically analyzed by applying the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results show the gas concentration distribution during one year of data highlighting differences among the gases analyzed in relation to the position of SLs for the specific barn typology and management.