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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 #74429
Title: USE OF A MEDIA FILTER FOR SWINE WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Author
item SZOGI, ARIEL - NC STATE UNIV
item HUMENIK, FRANK - NC STATE UNIV
item RICE, J - NC STATE UNIV
item Hunt, Patrick

Submitted to: ASAE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Wastewater from hog operations is typically stored and treated in anaerobic lagoons prior to land application. Land disposal can be a problem for hog operations that have limited land available for wastewater application. As an alternative, a field prototype media filter was constructed to treat swine wastewater effluents after lagoon treatment. The media filter consisted of a tank (1.8-m diameter by 0.9-m height) filled with marl gravel. The wastewater was applied onto the the surface of the media filter as a fine spray with sprinklers. Wastewater flow rate was 456 L/sq.m/d, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) load was 147 g/sq.m/d. Up to 24% of TKN was converted to nitrate-N. Effluents with high nitrate-N levels can be treated further for denitrification with constructed wetlands or anaerobic lagoon before land disposal.

Technical Abstract: A media filter was constructed to treat swine wastewater after anaerobic lagoon treatment. The media filter consisted of a tank (1.8-m diameter by 0.9-m height) filled with marl gravel. Wastewater flow rate was 456 L/sq.m/d, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) load was 147 g/sq.m/d. Up to 24% of TKN was converted to nitrate-N. Effluents with high nitrate-N levels can be treated further for denitrification with constructed wetlands or anaerobic lagoon. This is important in cases where land is limited for wastewater application.