ARS | Publication request: Environmental enhancement of swine lagoons through influent treatment

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: August 10, 2009
Publication Date: October 1, 2009
Citation: Szogi, A.A., Vanotti, M.B. 2009. Environmental enhancement of swine lagoons through influent treatment [abstract]. American Society of Agronomy-Crop Science Society of America-Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting,November 1-5, 2009, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Technical Abstract: Confined swine production generates large volumes of wastewater typically stored and treated in anaerobic lagoons. Failure of these lagoons during tropical storms in North Carolina along with major public environmental concerns led to a permanent state moratorium of construction of new anaerobic lagoons for swine production. A North Carolina Department of Agriculture estimate indicates that about 4000 swine anaerobic lagoons are currently active. These lagoons may require cleanup and closure measures in the future. An alternative to lagoon cleanup was investigated by pre-treating the liquid swine manure prior to entering the lagoon by solid-liquid separation only and by an ARS patented technology that treats liquid manure by biological nitrification/denitrification after solid separation. In a 15-month pilot study, water quality improvements (such as reduction of suspended solids and nitrogen concentrations) with respect to the anaerobic lagoon control were moderate with solid separation only but very significant with the Agriculture Research Service patented wastewater treatment. In addition, the lagoon sludge mass was reduced with respect to the sludge mass in the control by about 34 percent with solid separation and 50 percent with the Agricultural Research Service patented technology probably due to the combined reduction in solids input and in-situ lagoon sludge degradation. This finding has the potential to help in the development of more economical lagoon cleanup methods.