Effect of Anaerobic Digestion on Struvite Production for Nutrient Removal from Swine Waste Prior to Land Application

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1999 | No Comments

Cases exist where relatively intense livestock production exists in areas with limited arabll land: Denmark, Netherlands and North Carolina. Over time repeated manure application can result in an accumulation of phosphorus in mnaure applied soils. Most nutrient management plans are formulated on Nitrogen, preventing leaching of nitrogen from the soil. If nutrient management plans were based on phosphorus application rates land requirements would increase 4 to 8 times. Alternative solution exist to reduce the phosphorus content of manure. One of these is forced precipitation of struvite for phoisphorus removal. “Using raw swine manure, testing has demonstrated that up to 92% of reactive phosphorus can be removed by th addition of Mg2+ to the waste in the form MgO and by heating to 35 degrees Celcius to force formation of struvite. Up to 98% of the reactive phosphorus can be removed by the same procedure with anaerobially digested swine manure.” However a 95% reduction in reactive phosphorus can be achieved for half of the chemical cost.

Swine Manure Control by the TOAST Aerobic System

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A full scale TOAST (Tertiary Oxygen Activated System Treatment) was constructed and evaluated in Southern Minnesota. The objectives of this system was to determine the odour reduction potential for a completley aerobic treatment system with the use of high pressure vessels, determine the system management characteristics and determine the energy required to operate the system in order to reduce odours. Air samples taken at the fan outlet were taken and odour thresholds were determined through olfactometry. The odours in the treated barn were significantly lower with approximately a 50% reduction in the treated barn. Hydrogen sulfide emissions and odour units were both greater in the untreated barn, with odour units being twice as high in the control barn. Additional electrical costs associated with the project were based on additional kilo-watt usage. The TOAST system would cost approximately $9.60 /day to operate with a facility size of 300 animal units.

Swine Manure Storage Covers for Odor Control

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Development of a Negative Air Pressure Cover System for Swine Manure Earthen Storages in Manitoba

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Most livestock manure in Canada is retained in storage until it can be applied to agricultural lands to be used as a resource for crop production and soil improvement. Earthen manure storages are an economically attractive alternative for manure management that gives a competitive advantage to livestock producers. Because of their large surface area, earthen manure storages are the focus of concerns regarding odours from hog operations. This project was intended to demonstrate and evaluate a cover system that will help to improve the economic and environmental performance of earthen manure storages. The novel cover system proved to have many advantages including: Year round control of odour from the manure storage basin, cost-effectiveness, increase in the fertilizer value of manure due to the reduction in ammonia volatilization, elimination of a breeding habitat for flies, prevention of precipitation entering the storage basins, ease of installation, reliability, durability and stability. The use of a negative air pressure cover system will provide livestock producers with a single, inexpensive method to eliminate odour, the most prominent problem, associated with manure storages. It will also enhance the value of manure as a nutrient source for crop production.

Lime and pig manure as ameliorants for revegetating lead/zinc mine tailings: a greenhouse study

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Composting Dead Animals-The Missouri Experience

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1998 | No Comments

Currently, ther are five common ways to dispose of animal mortalities: rendering, burial, landfill, incineration and composting. Government regulation in some states makes burial, landfill and incineration an expensive alternative, not all states have rendering plants. As a result, composting is a economically and more environmentaly sound alternative. The composting process involves five stage: location, ingredients, requirements, design and operation. The compost bin should be loacted in a well drained area providing easy acces to the production units, however need to be out of site of the public view. The compost material of choice has been sawdust. Ease of handling, moisture absoptionability and a small particle size are some of the reasons why it has been choosen over alternatives such as: cornstalks, fescue hay and straw. The current suggested requirements for composting swine mortalities are 0.4 cubic metres / sow or 2.8 cubic metres for every 1000 lbs of carcass mortalities, a 500 sow farrow-to-finish operation will produce approximately 100,000 lbs of mortalities per year. Most composter are constructed wioth roofs concrete walls and floors. However early composting bins incorporated the use of fescue hay for walls. The operation and management of the composter include: placing one foot of sawdust in the bin prior to placing the firrst carcass, place carcasses in the bins as necessary covering them wiuth 1 ft of sawdust each time, carcasses should be allowed to compost for three months after the first carcass is placed in the bin, after three month move the carcasses to another bin for three months, after the carcasses have composted for six months spread compost on land at agronomic rates.

Land Application of Swine Lagoon Wastewater Using an Overland Flow System

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Pollution of surface and groundwater is a growing public and environmental concern. Many techniques are being developing to manage land application of manure, especially in land deficient areas. One development has been the use of overland flow-riparian buffer system that assist in removing nitorgen and phosphorus from the lquid manure, therefore increasing the amount of liquid prroduct/acre that can be applied.

The ovreland flow-riparian buffer consisted of a 4 m wide and 30 m long vegatative strip consisting of a 10 or 20 m grass buffer zone and a 10 or 20 m riparian buffer zone, postioned on the landscape acording to land contour. Surface and groundwater were sampled at the top and bottom of each plot, with ground water being measured at depths of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0m depths.

The surface runoff water quality showed a large decrease in the N concentration near the bottom of the plot, due to assimilation of N by grasses, trees and shrubs and losses through ammonia volatilization. Evaluation of shallow ground water showed a sunstantial reduction in NO3-N from the top to the bottom of each plot. Little difference was reported between the three type of vegative strips used, howver the plot containing a 20 m grass buffer was somewhat less efective in assimilating N relative to the other two plolts.

Environmental Concerns About Animal Manure

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Reducing Odor- A Comparison of Some Techniques and Products

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One of the latest attempts to manage odors of stored livestock manure is the use of natural biological covers. Recent experiments by A.O. Smith Havestore Products Inc. have shown that blankets of biological material floating on top of hog manure can noticeably help manage the escape of odorous gases. Natural covers are created by using a commercially available straw chopper to blow a 4a

BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF SWINE WASTE USING ANAEROBIC BAFFLED REACTORS

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