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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305766
Title: Improved method for recovery of organic solids from diluted swine manure in 3rd generation treatment system

Author
item Vanotti, Matias
item HUNT, PATRICK - Retired ARS Employee
item KUNZ, AIRTON - Embrapa
item RICE, MARK - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/28/2014
Publication Date: 6/26/2014
Citation: Vanotti, M.B., Hunt, P.G., Kunz, A., Rice, M. 2014. Improved method for recovery of organic solids from diluted swine manure in 3rd generation treatment system [abstract]. ORBIT 9th Conference on Organic Residues and Biological Treatment. 24.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Solid-liquid separation of the raw manure increases the capacity of decision making and opportunities for treatment. The high-rate separation up-front using flocculants allows recovery of most of the organic compounds, which can be used for manufacture of high-quality compost materials. However, the use of flocculants and dewatering equipment is costly on high-volume, diluted wastewater. This project evaluated and demonstrated the viability of a third generation manure treatment technology for swine manure in the USA. The technology first separated solids and liquids in the flushed manure with the aid of settling and polymer flocculants; subsequently, the ammonia nitrogen was treated with nitrifying bacteria adapted to high-strength wastewater and cold temperatures; and lastly, the soluble phosphorus was separated via calcium phosphate precipitation. The harvested manure solids were composted in a centralized facility and converted into value added commercial products. The third generation was designed to further reduce cost of manure treatment through pre-concentration of diluted manure using a decanting tank before polymer application. The technology was demonstrated full-scale on a farrow-to-finish farm that produced 30,450 swine per year. The combination of treatments substantially eliminated the release into the environment of odors, pathogens, ammonia, phosphorus and heavy metals, which are environmental standards required for new swine operations in North Carolina. The pre-concentration strategy increased polymer use efficiency 5.4 times (from 52 to 279 g/g),and reduced the total manure volume processed by the solid separator press by 98,000 liters per day. This lower volume is one of the major advances of the third generation project: it increased solid separator press capacity and lowered operating expenses when adapted to flushing systems, while meeting the five environmental standards for new swine operations.