Evaluation of instrumentation for measuring aerial ammonia in poultry houses

The study objective was identification of affordable instrumentation capable of continuous and reliable ammonia sampling in a unit that remained calibrated for unattended remote operation during field trials. An electrochemical unit was successful at a reasonable cost for research or demonstration projects. A secondary objective was evaluation of lower cost alternatives for field professional use. Pull tubes and passive dosimeter tubes were compared to the electrochemical sensor performance under three test sites/situations: three commercial high-rise layer houses; three environmental control chambers; and a laboratory. Both hand-held instruments provided an indication of ammonia level, but accuracy was questionable in the relatively dirty and low ammonia level environment found in the commercial poultry houses. All three sensor types performed accurately in the relatively clean laboratory setting with 50-ppm ammonia calibration gas.