ARS | Publication request: GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FROM IMPLEMENTATION OF AEROBIC WASTE TREATMENT SYSTEMS IN SWINE FARMS

Submitted to: Journal of Waste Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: September 7, 2007
Publication Date: January 5, 2008
Citation: Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A., Vives, C.A. 2008. Greenhouse gas emission reduction and environmental quality improvement from implementation of aerobic waste treatment systems in swine farms. Journal of Waste Management. 28:759-766.

Interpretive Summary: Substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions in confined swine operations can result when anaerobic swine lagoons are replaced with advanced technologies that use aerobic treatment. Such is the case of the recently approved environmentally superior technologies (EST) developed to replace anaerobic swine lagoons in North Carolina. In addition to the strict environmental standards with which EST’s need to comply (i.e., the elimination of pathogens, ammonia emissions, odor, heavy metals, phosphorus, discharge to surface and ground water, etc.), they are also very effective in reducing GHG emissions (both methane and N2O), even more than anaerobic digesters. Replacement of the lagoon technology with the cleaner aerobic technology in a 4,360-head swine operation reduced GHG emissions 99.0%, from 4,972 Tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) to 48 Tonnes CO2-eq/year. Thus, GHG emission reductions and credits can help compensate for the higher installation cost of cleaner aerobic technologies and facilitate producer adoption of environmentally superior technologies to replace current anaerobic lagoons in the USA. The dollar value from implementation of this project in this swine farm was $19,569/year using current Chicago Climate Exchange trading values of $4/Ton CO2. This translates into a direct economic benefit to the producer of $1.80 per finished pig. Thus, GHG emission reductions and carbon credits can help compensate for the higher installation cost of cleaner aerobic technologies and facilitate producer adoption of environmentally superior technologies to replace current anaerobic lagoons in North Carolina.

Technical Abstract: Trading of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions is an attractive approach to help producers implement cleaner treatment technologies to replace current anaerobic lagoons. Our objectives were to determine greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from implementation of aerobic technology in USA swine farms. Emission reductions were determined using approved United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) methodology in conjunction with monitoring information collected during full-scale demonstration of the new treatment system in a 4,360-head swine operation in North Carolina. Emission sources for the project and baseline manure management system were methane (CH4) emissions from the decomposition of manure under anaerobic conditions and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions during storage and handling of manure in the manure management system. Emission reductions resulted from the difference between total project and baseline emissions. The project activity included an on-farm wastewater treatment system consisting of liquid-solid separation, treatment of the separated liquid using aerobic biological N removal, chemical disinfection and soluble P removal using lime. The project activity was completed with a centralized facility that used aerobic composting to process the separated solids. Replacement of the lagoon technology with the cleaner aerobic technology reduced GHG emissions 99.0%, from 4,972 Tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) to 48 Tonnes CO2-eq/year. Total net emission reductions by the project activity in the 4,360-head finishing operation were 4,892.3 Tonnes CO2-eq per year or 1.12 Tonnes CO2-eq /head/year. The dollar value from implementation of this project in this swine farm was $19,569/year using current Chicago Climate Exchange trading values of $4/Ton CO2. This translates into a direct economic benefit to the producer of $1.80 per finished pig. Thus, GHG emission reductions and credits can help compensate for the higher installation cost of cleaner aerobic technologies and facilitate producer adoption of environmentally superior technologies to replace current anaerobic lagoons in the USA.