Magellan belts reduce ammonia emissions
Thanks to their draining design, Magellan mats facilitate rapid evacuation of urine. This reduces urine/faeces contact, the source of ammonia emissions. According to a study by the independent Dutch laboratory Meet ID, a stall equipped with Magellan belts will emit 42% less ammonia than one with slatted floors.
Very present in our environment, ammonia is a nitrogen compound whose emissions the public authorities wish to reduce. Firstly, for our health, as ammonia is an irritating gas. By recombining with other molecules, it is a precursor of micro-particles. On an environmental level too, ammonia emissions have an unfavorable impact, as they lead to acidification of the air and eutrophication of the environment.
In France, 94% of ammonia emissions come from the agricultural sector, including 43% from cattle breeding alone. The main culprit is the manure management chain, since ammonia is formed during contact between urine and faeces.
42% less ammonia emissions
For the agricultural sector, in addition to the health and environmental benefits, reducing ammonia emissions is also of economic interest, as the nitrogen transformed into ammonia is lost in fertilization.
With its draining design, the Magellan mat is a response to the need to reduce ammonia emissions. The belt's slope and gullies promote rapid elimination of urine between scrapings, which, combined with lower humidity, reduces ammonia emissions.
The independent Dutch laboratory Meet ID specializes in the measurement of gaseous emissions and the certification of innovations to reduce emissions in the livestock sector. To quantify the reduction in emissions enabled by Magellan mats, the Meet ID laboratory compared ammonia emissions on slatted floors and Magellan mats, using a scientific protocol. First, the presence of residual urine was measured. It was found to be 0.74 mm on floors with gratings, compared with 0.35 mm on floors fitted with Magellan mats. The Meet ID laboratory also assessed ammonia emissions. These were 14.3 kg NH3/animal/year on a slatted floor. In a Magellan mat-equipped stall, they are just 8.4 kg/animal/year. This represents a reduction of almost 42% on the Magellan mat compared with a conventional slatted floor.
Based on emissions of 13 kg NH3/cow/year, traditionally accepted as a discharge standard in the Netherlands, the installation of Magellan belts would reduce these emissions by between 6.8 and 7.5 kg, depending on the cleaning system.
These results have made it possible for Magellan carpets to be approved for environmental protection in four European countries: The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom. Approval applications are underway in Denmark, Switzerland and Austria.
Calculate ammonia emissions as accurately as possible
The Meet ID laboratory calculated the cumulative ammonia emissions for the different soil types. The percentage reduction is determined on the basis of cumulative emissions over the 14 hours following urine spraying. This period corresponds to the average time before a specific area of the stall is again subject to urination.
Cumulative ammonia emissions over 14 hours are used to assess potential emissions, based on a floor area of 4.5 m² per cow. Potential emissions are calculated as the cumulative emissions over 14 hours * 24h/14 * 365 days /(floor area /4.5 m2 * 1000).