Gypsum Additions Reduce Ammonia Nitrogen Losses During Composting of Dairy Manure and Biosolids

Ammonia volatilisation from manure materials within poultry sheds can adversely affect production, and also represents a loss of fertiliser value from the spent litter. This study sought to compare the ability of alum and bentonite to decrease volatilisation losses of ammonia from spent poultry litter. An in-vessel volatilisation trial with air flushing, ammonia collection, and ammonia analysis was conducted over 64 days to evaluate the mitigation potential of these two materials. Water-saturated spent litter was incubated at 25°C in untreated condition (control) or with three treatments: an industry-accepted rate of alum [4% Al2(SO4)3·18H2O by dry mass of litter dry mass; ALUM], air-dry bentonite (127% by dry mass; BENT), or water-saturated bentonite (once again at 127% by dry mass; SATBENT). A high proportion of the nitrogen contained in the untreated spent litter was volatilised (62%). Bentonite additions were superior to alum additions at retaining spent litter ammonia (nitrogen losses: 15%, SATBENT; 34%, BENT; 54%, ALUM). Where production considerations favour comparable high rates of bentonite addition (e.g. where the litter is to be re-formulated as a fertiliser), this clay has potential to decrease ammonia volatilisation either in-shed or in spent litter stockpiles or formulated products, without the associated detrimental effect of alum on phosphorus availability.

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Reduction of Ammonia Emissions from Laying Hen Manure in a Closed Composting Process Using Gas-Permeable Membrane Technology

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11122384 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 2384

Author(s):

María Soto-Herranz ◽

Mercedes Sánchez-Báscones ◽

Juan Manuel Antolín-Rodríguez ◽

Pablo Martín-Ramos

Keyword(s):

Membrane Surface ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Laying Hen ◽

Nitrogen Losses ◽

N Recovery ◽

Capture Process ◽

Permeable Membrane ◽

Best Available Techniques ◽

Composting Process ◽

Fertilizer Value

Nitrogen losses during composting processes lead to emissions problems and reduce the compost fertilizer value. Gas-permeable membranes (GPM) are a promising approach to address the challenge of reducing nitrogen losses in composting processes. This study investigated the applicability of two GPM membrane systems to recover N released during the closed composting process of laying hen manure. The ammonia (NH3) capture process was performed using two different systems over a period of 44 days: the first system (S1) consisted of 120 m of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane installed inside a 3.7 m3 portable, closed aerobic composter with forced ventilation; the second system (S2) consisted of 474 m of an ePTFE membrane placed inside as an external module designed for NH3 capture, connected to a closed aerobic composter through a pipe. In both cases, a 1 N H2SO4 acidic NH3 capture solution was circulated inside the membranes at a flow rate of 2.1 L·h−1. The amount of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) recovered was similar in the two systems (0.61 kg in S1 and 0.65 kg in S2) due to the chosen membrane surface areas, but the TAN recovery rate was six times higher in system S1 (6.9 g TAN·m−2·day−1) than in system S2 (1.9 g TAN·m−2·day−1) due to the presence of a higher NH3 concentration in the air in contact with the membrane. Given that the NH3 concentration in the atmosphere of the membrane compartment directly influences the NH3 capture, better performance of the GPM recovery system may be attained by installing it directly inside the closed aerobic composters. Regardless of the chosen configuration, this technology allows N recovery as a stable and concentrated 1.4% N ammonium salt solution, which can be used for fertigation. The presented GPM systems may be used in community composting systems with low volumes of waste to be treated or in livestock facilities that have implemented best available techniques such as solid–liquid separation or anaerobic digestion, provided that the use of GPM technology in combination with these techniques also contributes to odor mitigation and improves biogas yields.

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Ammonia Nitrogen Losses from Streams

Journal of the Sanitary Engineering Division ◽

10.1061/jsedai.0000907 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 94 (6) ◽

pp. 1085-1092

Author(s):

Frank E. Stratton

Keyword(s):

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Nitrogen Losses

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Closure to “Ammonia Nitrogen Losses from Streams”

Journal of the Sanitary Engineering Division ◽

10.1061/jsedai.0001134 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 96 (3) ◽

pp. 847-848

Author(s):

Frank E. Stratton

Keyword(s):

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Nitrogen Losses

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Impacts of Within-Farm Soil Variability on Nitrogen Pollution Control Costs

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics ◽

10.1017/s0081305200028843 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 149-159 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Laura S. VanDyke ◽

Darrell J. Bosch ◽

James W. Pease

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Mineralization ◽

Pollution Control ◽

Nitrogen Loss ◽

Dairy Manure ◽

Nitrogen Pollution ◽

Nitrogen Losses ◽

Soil Variability ◽

Nitrogen Control ◽

Leaching Potential ◽

Soil Runoff

AbstractThe effects of considering variable within-farm soil runoff and leaching potential on costs of reducing nitrogen losses are analyzed for a Virginia dairy. Manure applications may cause nitrogen losses through runoff and leaching because of factors such as uncertain nitrogen mineralization. Farmers can reduce nitrogen control costs by applying manure on soils with less nitrogen loss potential. Ignoring within-farm soil variability may result in overstating the farm's costs of reducing nitrogen losses.

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Runoff and Nutrient Losses from Constructed Soils Amended with Compost

Applied and Environmental Soil Science ◽

10.1155/2012/542873 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

N. E. Hansen ◽

D. M. Vietor ◽

C. L. Munster ◽

R. H. White ◽

T. L. Provin

Keyword(s):

Soil Surface ◽

Dairy Manure ◽

Nutrient Loss ◽

Nitrogen Losses ◽

Nutrient Loads ◽

Nutrient Losses ◽

Runoff Water ◽

Disturbed Soil ◽

Municipal Biosolids ◽

Materials Used

Composted organic materials used to stabilize roadside embankments in Texas promote rapid revegetation of soils disturbed by construction activities. Yet, adding compost to soil may increase total and soluble plant nutrients available for loss in runoff water. Composted municipal biosolids and dairy manure products were applied to soils in Texas according to prescribed Texas Department of Transportation specifications for stabilizing roadside soils. The specifications included a method for incorporating compost into soils prior to seeding or applying a compost and woodchip mix over a disturbed soil and then seeding. Applying compost and woodchips over the soil surface limited sediment losses (14 to 32 fold decrease) compared to incorporating compost into the soil. Yet, the greatest total phosphorus and nitrogen losses in runoff water occurred from soils where the compost and woodchip mix was applied. The greatest losses of soluble phosphorus also occurred when the compost and woodchip mix was applied. In contrast, nitrate-nitrogen losses in runoff were similar when compost was incorporated in the soil or applied in the woodchip mix. Compost source affected the nutrient losses in runoff. While the composted municipal biosolids added greater nutrient loads to the soil, less nutrient loss in runoff occurred.

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Nutrient Variability Following Dairy Manure Storage Agitation

Applied Engineering in Agriculture ◽

10.13031/aea.12796 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (6) ◽

pp. 908-917 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Horacio A Aguirre-Villegas ◽

Mahmoud A Sharara ◽

Rebecca A Larson

Keyword(s):

Crop Yields ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Dairy Manure ◽

Three Samples ◽

Total Ammonia ◽

Manure Storage ◽

Nutrient Variability ◽

The Relationship

Abstract. The nutrient profile in stored manure can be highly variable due to the solids building up at the bottom of the storage over time as unagitated manure is removed. This variability can lead to under- or over-application of nutrients potentially reducing crop yields or increasing nutrient losses, respectively. Agitation of stored manure is a common practice to re-suspend solids providing a more uniform nutrient consistency for application. This study explores the solids and nutrient variability in stored dairy manure after agitation and the relationship between the number of samples and the quality of the nutrient content estimate. A total of 16 dairy facilities across Wisconsin were sampled in the study. Samples were taken during agitation and analyzed for total solids (TS), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), and microminerals. Overall, TKN, TAN, and TP contents were more uniform than TS. The mean concentrations (wet basis) from the 16 farms range from 2.45% to 15.28% for TS, 0.17% to 0.53% for TKN, 0.01% to 0.33 for TAN, 0.02 to 0.06 for TP, and 0.11% to 0.31% for TK. This range is mostly attributed to the between-farms variability in manure nutrient content. In addition, 54% of the total variation in the TS content was attributable to within-farm sample variability. These results show that TS was variable on farms whereas TKN, TAN, and TP were variable between farms. A random resampling analysis showed that three samples generate a mean between 20% to 30% of the true experimental mean for TKN and TAN whereas nine samples are required to be in this range for TP. Results show that the improvement achieved by adding more samples than 11 is less than 10%. Keywords: Dairy manure, Manure agitation, Nutrients, Nutrient variability, Sample size.

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