ARS | Publication request: REDUCTION OF AMMONIA EMISSIONS FROM TREATED ANAEROBIC SWINE LAGOONS

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: August 26, 2005
Publication Date: October 5, 2005
Citation: Szogi, A.A., Vanotti, M.B., Stansbery, A.E. 2005. Reduction of ammonia emissions from treated anaerobic swine lagoons. Animal Waste Management Symmposium, October 5-7, Raleigh, North Carolina. p. 210-218. CDROM

Technical Abstract: There is a need for treatment technologies that can effectively address environmental concerns associated with anaerobic lagoons typically used to manage manure. These technologies must be able to capture nutrients, kill pathogens, and reduce emissions of ammonia and nuisance odors. To meet these needs, a wastewater treatment plant was demonstrated at full-scale in one of two 4,360-pig production units in a finishing farm in Duplin Co., NC. The second production unit was used as a control. Both production units had similar animal production management and lagoons with similar surface area (about 0.9 ha each). The treatment plant processed raw manure and the corresponding lagoon was used to store the treated water. The quality of the lagoon liquid was rapidly improved as clean effluent replaced dirty liquid. Our objective was to study changes in ammonia emissions as a result of improved water quality. The study was done one year after lagoon conversion and included cold and warm weather conditions. Passive flux samplers were used to measure simultaneously the ammonia gas fluxes from both the treated and traditional anaerobic lagoons. Average total ammonia concentrations in lagoon liquid were 31 and 388 mg/L in the treated and traditional systems, respectively. Lower N concentrations in the treated lagoon substantially reduced annual ammonia emissions by 90% with respect to those found in the traditional anaerobic lagoon. Ammonia emissions from the treated lagoon totaled 1,210 kg N/lagoon/year (or 1300 kg N/ha/year). This compares with ammonia emissions of 12,540 kg N/lagoon/year (13,600 kg N/ha/year) from the traditional lagoon. These results overall demonstrate that production of clean water using new wastewater technologies can accelerate lagoon clean up and substantially reduce ammonia emissions.