ARS | Publication request: CHOICE OF OPTIMUM AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF PIG MANURE

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: September 16, 2004
Publication Date: September 30, 2004
Citation: Vanotti, M.B. 2004. Choice of optimum available technologies for environmental management of pig manure. 25th Symposium Asociacion Nacional Porcinocultura Cientifica. September 30-October 1, 2004, Pamplona, Spain. 8 p.

Technical Abstract: Minimizing livestock wastewater manure's impact on the environment is one of U.S. agriculture's major challenges. Problems arise when more nutrients are applied than crops or forage can use, causing excess runoff that can lead to poor drinking water and oxygen depletion in bodies of water. In addition to nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus), manure and wastewater from animal feeding operations have the potential to contribute other pollutants such as organic matter, pathogens, heavy metals, and ammonia to the environment. This paper describes advances in swine manure treatment technologies to address main problem areas of excess nutrient enrichment of soil and water, ammonia emissions, odors, and control of pathogenic microorganisms in confined swine operations. There are many aspects of animal residuals such as waste characteristics, operator involvement, regulations, and fiscal resources that are distinctly different than in the sewage industry and require treatment technology developed specifically for animal waste systems. One approach is to improve or retrofit existing liquid systems so that volatile solids and organic nutrients are separated from the fresh manure and transported off-farm while the remainder liquid is treated on-site. This approach was determined to be technically superior to lagoon technology during a full-scale verification in North Carolina to replace lagoons with environmentally superior technology.