ARS | Publication request: Skatole biodegradation via isolates from swine manure

Submitted to: Bioremediation and Sustainable Environmental Technologies
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 31, 2011
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Animal waste disposal and odor control have become a major issue for animal production facilities. As an attempt to improve efficiency and profit margins, many livestock operations have become large concentrated rearing facilities. As a result, many concerns over potentially adverse environmental impacts from these operations have arisen. While there are many important issues that drive these concerns, the emission of malodorous compounds is undoubtedly the foremost factor driving public awareness of this matter. Odor management has become a crucial issue for the livestock industry. Many have attempted to mitigate malodorous emissions by utilizing chemical amendments. However, these techniques may not be cost effective since chemicals and other absorbents can be quite expensive. Here, we demonstrate that bioaugmentation of bioreactor with enrichment cultures and with a pure culture such as Rhodococcus sp. and other species isolated from swine lagoon is a viable alternative in reducing skatole, a main malodorous compound in swine effluent. We found that bioreactor amended with pure culture can degrade skatole as well as the enriched mixed culture after certain lag period. Pure culture bioreactor required longer lag time than the mixed culture. Thus, bioaugmentation of treatment systems with indigenous populations may increase the efficiency of treatment systems and provide a simple, cost-effective bioremediation potential in reducing malodors emission at livestock facilities.