Project Number: 1265-12000-023-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Apr 03, 2000
End Date: Apr 02, 2005

Objective:
Develop methods, technologies, and guidelines to improve the handling and treatment of animal manures, thereby reducing their deleterious impact on air and water quality and improving their benefit in soils and crops. Quantify odor emissions and bioaerosols to evaluate management practice effects on air quality. Evaluate the presence and movement of pathogenic microorganisms as related to manure management practice. Develop and test methods to improve and certify manure value.

Approach:
Collaborative laboratory, growth chamber, and field studies will evaluate nutrient stabilization, conservation and conversion, pathogen and vector attraction and reduction, and their association with odor and bioaerosol control when manures are treated/handled by composting, alkaline stabilization, algal scrubbing, or simple mixing with other by-products. By-products tested include those that reduce solubility of nutrients such as phosphorus, adjust pH to reduce emissions or pathogen numbers, or improve the value of the final manure product. Candidates include water treatment sludges, coal combustion residuals, and industrial metal by-products. Accurate assessment of pathogen number, fate, and survival in environmental samples will be attempted using new molecular, immunological and cultural techniques. Final manure products will be evaluated for agronomic and horticultural value, benefit to environment, and safety for use in food chain crops.