Animal Waste Management Research Site Logo
ARS Home About Us Helptop nav spacerContact Us En Espanoltop nav spacer
Printable VersionPrintable Version     E-mail this pageE-mail this page
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture
Search
  Advanced Search
 
Programs and Projects
Subjects of Investigation
Research Information for Stakeholders
 

Research Project: EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT AND USE OF ANIMAL MANURE TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Location: Animal Waste Management Research

Title: Evaluation of second-generation multistage wastewater treatment system for the removal of malodorous compounds from liquid swine waste

Authors

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 19, 2009
Publication Date: June 23, 2009
Repository URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10113/31763
Citation: Loughrin, J.H., Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A., Lovanh, N.C. 2009. Evaluation of second-generation multistage wastewater treatment system for the removal of malodorous compounds from liquid swine waste. Journal of Environmental Quality. 38:1739-1748.

Interpretive Summary: Reductions in malodor that were due to a second generation Environmentally Superior Technology (EST) wastewater treatment plant were studied over 15 months that included three cycles of pig rearing. The wastewater treatment system consisted of three modules: solids separation, biological nitrogen removal, and phosphorus recovery/wastewater disinfection. While approximately over 90% of the wastewater solids were removed in the first stage of treatment, little reduction in malodorous compounds occurred, indicating that malodors largely remained with the liquid waste stream. The greatest improvements in wastewater quality occurred in the nitrogen treatment module: there was over 90% reduction in malodors as compared to the raw flushed manure. The system consistently achieved high performance standards, even during the first cycle of livestock production when system performance was being optimized. These findings showed that the combination of two simple processes into a practical treatment system can be very effective in reducing malodors from livestock wastewater.

Technical Abstract: Reductions in wastewater malodor that were effected by a second generation implementation of Environmentally Superior Technology (EST) were monitored over a 15 month period that encompassed three cycles of pig production. The wastewater treatment system consisted of three modules: solids separation, biological nitrogen removal, and phosphorus recovery/wastewater disinfection. While approximately over 90% of the wastewater suspended solids were removed in the first stage of treatment, little reduction in malodorous compounds occurred, indicating that malodors largely remained with the liquid waste stream. The greatest improvements in wastewater quality occurred in the nitrogen treatment module: there was over 99% reduction in aromatic malodors (e.g. p-cresol, skatole) and almost 90% reduction in volatile fatty acids (e.g. propanoate and butanoate) in nitrogen module effluent as compared to raw flushed manure. The system consistently achieved high performance standards, even during the first cycle of livestock production when system performance was being optimized. These findings showed that the combination of two simple processes into a practical treatment system can be very effective in reducing malodors from livestock wastewater.

   

 
Project Team
Sistani, Karamat
Loughrin, John
Bolster, Carl
Cook, Kimberly - Kim
Lovanh, Nanh
 
Publications
   Publications
 
Related National Programs
  Air Quality (203)
  Manure and Byproduct Utilization (206)
  Food Safety, (animal and plant products) (108)
 
 
Last Modified: 05/24/2013
ARS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Policies and Links 
FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Nondiscrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | White House