Use of a 3-D Dispersion Model for Calculation of Distribution of Horse Allergen and Odor around Horse Facilities

Marie Haeger-Eugensson, Martin Ferm and Lena Elfman
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Marie Haeger-Eugensson: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, SE 40014 Gothenburg, Sweden
Martin Ferm: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, SE 40014 Gothenburg, Sweden
Lena Elfman: Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, SE 75185 Uppsala, Sweden

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: The interest in equestrian sports has increased substantially during the last decades, resulting in increased number of horse facilities around urban areas. In Sweden, new guidelines for safe distance have been decided based on the size of the horse facility (e.g., number of horses) and local conditions, such as topography and meteorology. There is therefore an increasing need to estimate dispersion of horse allergens to be used, for example, in the planning processes for new residential areas in the vicinity of horse facilities. The aim of this study was to develop a method for calculating short- and long-term emissions and dispersion of horse allergen and odor around horse facilities. First, a method was developed to estimate horse allergen and odor emissions at hourly resolution based on field measurements. Secondly, these emission factors were used to calculate concentrations of horse allergen and odor by using 3-D dispersion modeling. Results from these calculations showed that horse allergens spread up to about 200 m, after which concentration levels were very low (<2 U/m 3 ). Approximately 10% of a study-group detected the smell of manure at 60m, while the majority—80%–90%—detected smell at 60 m or shorter distance from the manure heap. Modeling enabled horse allergen exposure concentrations to be determined with good time resolution.

Keywords: horse allergen concentration; 3-D dispersion model; horse allergen emission; ammonia; odor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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