Biofiltration of Odour and Ammonia from a Pig Unit, a pilot-scale Study

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A pilot-scale biofiltration unit was constructed at a pig finishing building on the University College Dublin research farm. The biofiltration system was investigated over three trial periods. Exhaust air from a single pen was extracted by a variable speed centrifugal fan and passed through a humidifier and biofilter. A 0
5mde pth of woodchips of over 20mm screen size was used as the biofilter medium. The moisture content of the medium was maintained at 644% (wet weight basis) for trial one and 694% (wet weight basis) for trials two and three using a load cell method. The volumetric loading rate varied from 769 to 1898m3 [air] m3 [medium] h1 during the three trial periods. Odour and ammonia removal efficiencies ranged from 77 to 95% and 54 to 93%, respectively. The pH of the biofilter leachate remained between 6 and 8 throughout the experimental periods.
The pressure drop across the biofilter ranged from14 to 64 Pa. It is concluded that a wood chipmedia particle size >20mm is suitable for use in biofiltration systems on intensive pig production facilities. This will minimize the pressure drop on the system fans to reduce overall operation costs. It is recommended that a filter bed moisture content (wet weight basis) of greater than 63% be used to maintain overall efficiency. An efficient air moisturizing system (humidification and bed sprinkling) along with a properly designed air distribution system must be incorporated in the overall design when operating at such high volumetric loading rates.

Enforce Existing Animal Feeding Operations Regulations to Reduce Pollutants

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Pilot Scale Study of Hog Manure Treatment Technology

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System Ecotechnologies Inc. has developed a hog manure treatment process (SEI Hog Manure Treatment Technology) which has the following environmental and economic benefits: significantly reduces odours from hog manure, produces recyclable clear water, produces nutrient-rich biosolids (sludge), recovers ammonia as a separate product usable as a fertilizer, eliminates E.Coli in the treated liquid and biosolids, eliminates the production of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from manure after treatment, and offers a better control on the use and disposal of treated liquid and biosolids. System Ecotechnologies Inc. received funding from Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative (MLMMI), Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, and CETAC-WEST which administered the funds from TEAM – Climate Change Action Fund, and the Western Economic Diversification (WD) of Government of Canada, to conduct this technology demonstration. The technology demonstration was conducted at the following hog operations in Manitoba: Landmark – Nevin Friesen’s farm coordinated by Elite Swine Inc., Niverville – Coordinated by Puratone Inc., Starlite Colony – Coordinated by James Hofer of Starlite Colony; Saskatchewan: St. Denis – Quadra Group; Ontario: London – Van Gorp Farm coordinated by Case and Jeff Van Gorp. Open houses were conducted at Landmark, Starlite Colony and London which were well attended by the print and broadcast media, hog operators and representatives from the hog industry (Manitoba Pork, Ontario Pork) and the government regulatory agencies. The technology demonstration received extensive media coverage which brought a number of enquiries from hog farmers from Canada, USA and Ireland for commercially implementing the technology. Dr. Qiang (Chong) Zhang of the Department Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba was consulted to evaluate the reduction in the odours in the manure due to the treatment process. Dr. Zhang and his team visited the site and took samples of raw (untreated) manure and the treated liquid for the laboratory evaluation using the ‘Dynamic Dilution Olfactometer’ and a panel of six screened assessors. Samples of untreated manure and samples of liquid and biosolids after treatment were taken after each demonstration and sent for analysis. They were analyzed for BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), TKN (Total Kjledahl Nitrogen), total phosphorus, total potassium, total sulphur for all samples. Samples were also sent to the Saskatchewan Research Council for bacterial analysis in terms of total coliforms and E.Coli.
The following summarizes the data obtained from these demonstrations: Clear recyclable water was consistently produced at all sites, the odour was reduced by more than 98% in the treated water compared to the raw manure, the bacterial contamination in terms of E.Coli and total coliforms was eliminated after treatment both in the treated manure and the biosolids, as a percentage of the raw manure nutrient content, the biosolids produced by the treatment contained 100% of phosphorus, about 55 to 89% of nitrogen, about 37 to 92% of potassium and about 47 to 84% of sulphur, the nitrogen content in the treated liquid was low, at less than 14%. It was possible to reduce this further to almost zero by allowing the sample to be exposed to air, the BOD in the treated liquid varied from a low of 5 mg/l to a high of 2500 mg/l, while the BOD values in the raw manure ranged from 30,000 to 45,000 mg/l, and the volume of biosolids produced by the treatment ranged from about 5 to 10 % depending upon the raw manure solids content.

The thermal inactivation of E. coli in straw and pig manure

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Measuring the Cost of Restricting Access to Cropland for Manure Nutrient Management

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Responsiveness of Swine Waste Management Costs to Feeding Low Crude Protein Diets

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Livestock waste management issues are of growing environmental concern in the United States and elsewhere. Lowering the quantity of nutrients excreted by pigs can ease associated environmental problems and at the same time can reduce waste management costs. Reduction in nutrient excretion can be achieved by feeding pigs with low crude protein diets. The paper develops a procedure for calculation of swine waste management costs as function of four dietary regimes. Feeding low crude protein diets significantly reduced amount of nitrogen excreted by pigs. As a result, reduction in waste management costs may be achieved, especially when the pig farm does not have enough land to apply all the manure it generates.

Strategies for Addressing Odor

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A new University of Manitoba study has evaluated several strategies for addressing odor. The 100-page a

Removal of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in Pig Manure by Continuous and Intermittent Aeration at Low Redox Potentials

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A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of intermittent and continuous aeration at an airflow rate of 0
0667 l min1 l1 of manure on redox potential, pH, organic carbon, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and soluble orthophosphate. Results showed that aeration at this rate could not bring redox potential up to truly aerobic level. A reduction of 24 and 26
4% in TKN and organic carbon, respectively, was observed during the continuous aeration process. The continuous aeration at this airflow rate also reduced the initial NH4+-N by 32
3%. Intermittent aeration was approximately as half as efficient in removal of organic carbon, TKN and NH4
+-N as the continuous aeration. However, within a 24 h aeration period, 75% of soluble orthophosphate was removed from solution for both treatments, suggesting that the phosphorus removal efficiency was independent of aeration schemes, so energy could be saved while still maintaining the removal efficiency.

New CAFO rule sits uneasily with livestock producers

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Soil Sampling Manured and Non-Manured Fields in Grass Forage Production

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This survey study was initiated to investigate the nutrient status of agricultural soils in South Eastern Manitoba that have a history of hog manure application and to compare these soils to similar soils that have not received manure. The land areas that were studied were characterized by coarse textured, low agricultural capability soils in grass forage production. The study locations would be considered representative of soil landscapes commonly known as the Poppleton, Pelan and Malonton soil associations. The variability in soil nitrate nitrogen and phosphorus with depth was determined at twelve manured locations and six non-manured locations each about eighty acres in area. Three soil-sampling procedures were conducted at each field location. The first consisted of individually sampling fifteen randomly selected sites identified with global positioning coordinates. The second involved taking a sub-sample from each of these fifteen sites for a single composite sample. The third procedure consisted of selecting, at the investigatora