During the past year, ISU faculty members and community members have put their noses together to break down the smell of pigs.

Last February, ISU faculty researchers began a two-year, three-state project to test different methods for measuring low-level odors from swine facilities funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Now, midway through the research, Iowa State, the University of Minnesota and the University of Nebraska have established three methods of measuring odors. Each method uses the human nose.

Iowa State received a $480,000 USDA National Research Initiative grant and works with the nasal ranger method to test odor techniques. The University of Minnesota uses an intensity measurement method to test butanol, and the University of Nebraska uses mask olfactometers to examine odors. Iowa State also receives state support from several commodity groups, including the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Poultry Industry and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

“All methods of testing are based on utilizing the human nose, because currently we feel that methods that use the nose directly are the best methods to detect odors,” said Steve Hoff, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering.

Researchers advertised for nasal rangers, paid participants who smell swine odors, to compile field data for the ISU method.

The research will measure the odors and is intended to achieve three objectives, Hoff said.

The first objective is to measure the downwind odors from swine production facilities based on using the human nose, Hoff said. Weather data is collected, too.

Each of the three methods stem from the first objective.

The second objective is to use the tested methods to make an odor dispersion model, Hoff said.

The third objective is to create Web-based educational tools with information on how odors are dispersed and the effects on odor from weather and other variables.

“At the end of the project, we want to know the relationship between the three methods,” said Hoff. “And we want to have enough field data to provide collaboration data for the odor dispersion model, which is the main goal of the project.”

Hoff said the reason for this project is not to reduce odors but to simply try to assess methods of testing and to measure dispersion of odors.

“We want to focus on determining the most odorous gases coming from swine odors,” said Jacek Koziel, assistant professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering.

“This is an important issue because air quality, animal agriculture and its odors have become sensitive issues of today,” Hoff said. “Producers face these problems on a daily basis, and it has become an issue that has gained attention nationwide.”