A new instrument will help Iowa State University (ISU) researcher Jacek Koziel study the components in livestock and poultry odors.

ISU’s Atmospheric Air Quality Laboratory recently obtained an instrument that can break down the gases and chemicals in livestock and poultry odors.

The instrument – a multi-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry – is more commonly used in the cosmetics industry to analyze pleasant aromas.

The instrument will be used in several projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and ISU, says Koziel, assistant professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering.