Manipulating the pH of the manure alters the balance between ammonia and ammonium. As ammonia is the volatile of these two compounds, reducing the pH to change ammonia to ammonium can be effective at reducing loss of nitrogen. Additionally, ammonia emissions are an environmental and human health concern. Acidification is one strategy to reduce ammonia emissions.

This fact sheet is part of the Air Management Practices Assessment Tool (AMPAT) developed at Iowa State University and funded by the National Pork Board. Additional resources can be found on the AMPAT web site.