Pilot-Scale Testing of Non-Activated Biochar for Swine Manure Treatment and Mitigation of Ammonia, Hydrogen Sulfide, Odorous Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Devin L. Maurer, Jacek A. Koziel, Kajetan Kalus, Daniel S. Andersen and Sebastian Opalinski
Additional contact information
Devin L. Maurer: Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Jacek A. Koziel: Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Kajetan Kalus: Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Department of Environment Hygiene and Animal Welfare, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
Daniel S. Andersen: Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Sebastian Opalinski: Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Department of Environment Hygiene and Animal Welfare, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: Managing the environmental impacts associated with livestock production is a challenge for farmers, public and regulatory agencies. Sustainable solutions that take into account technical and socioeconomic factors are needed. For example, the comprehensive control of odors, ammonia (NH 3 ), hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from swine production is a critical need. Stored manure is a major source of gaseous emissions. Mitigation technologies based on bio-based products such as biochar are of interest due to the potential benefits of nutrient cycling. The objective of this study was to test non-activated (non-functionalized) biochar for the mitigation of gaseous emissions from stored manure. Specifically, this included testing the effects of: (1) time; and (2) dosage of biochar application to the swine manure surface on gaseous emissions from deep-pit storage. The biochar surface application was tested with three treatments (1.14, 2.28 and 4.57 kg·m ?2 manure) over a month. Significant reductions in emissions were observed for NH 3 (12.7–22.6% reduction as compared to the control). Concomitantly, significant increases in CH 4 emissions (22.1–24.5%) were measured. Changes to emissions of other target gases (including CO 2 , N 2 O, H 2 S, dimethyl disulfide/methanethiol, dimethyl trisulfide, n -butyric-, valeric-, and isovaleric acids, p -cresol, indole, and skatole) were not statistically significant. Biochar treatment could be a promising and comparably-priced option for reducing NH 3 emissions from stored swine manure.

Keywords: biochar; swine manure; volatile organic compounds (VOCs); ammonia; greenhouse gases; mitigation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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