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Research Summaries

Manure Treatment

Research Purpose

To evaluated the performance of “L4DB® microbial treatment” to reduce phosphorus (P) and other substances from dairy lagoon effluent for a one year period.

Activities

An anaerobic dairy lagoon was divided into three nearly equal sections by transect lines running the width and length of the lagoon and each transect was marked permanently and noted as sampling locations. Lagoon samples were collected monthly or bimonthly from two different profiles called lagoon supernatant (LS, sampled from top of the liquid level to 610-mm depth) and lagoon profile (LP, sampled from the entire depth of the lagoon).

At each sampling location, 3 LS and 3 LP samples were taken in 250-ml bottles using the “Ultra Sludge Judge” (Nasco, Fort Atkinson, WI) (Fig. 1). In addition irrigation effluent (IR) samples were also collected. At the laboratory, 15 LS sample bottles were mixed together to obtain one LS composite sample. Similarly, 15 LP and 15 IR samples bottles were mixed separately to obtain one LP and one IR composite sample. Samples were analyzed for solids, nutrients and metals using EPA approved analytical procedures.

Figure 1. Lagoon sampling using a sludge judge.

What We Have Learned

Throughout the course of this demonstration, total phosphorus (TP) concentration in LP was reduced by an average of 27%, while TP reduction in LS was 52% as compared to its pre-treatment concentration (Fig. 2). However, in IR effluent, TP concentration increased by 28% as compared to its pre-treatment concentration. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) of LP, LS and IR followed a trend similar to TP concentration for these sampling locations. No clear soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) reduction trends were noticed for any of these sampling locations. Similar trend was also noticed for potassium (K). This implies that this microbial treatment was not very effective in reducing nutrients that are in soluble form.

Figure 2. Total phosphorus (TP) trend over time for the L4DB® treatment

Overall, L4DB® treatment was somewhat effective in reducing TP, TKN, but was not effective in reducing SRP and potassium (K) concentrations.

Why is This Important?

Water quality degradation due to phosphorus (P) contribution as a non-point source (NPS) pollutant from effluent and manure applied to waste application fields (WAFs) is a major concern in the Bosque River watershed in east central Texas. Entrprenures are attempting to develop alternative manure treatment technologies with the goal of reducing potential pollution from the storage and application of manure. This microbial treatment of lagoon is somewhat effective in reducing some pollutants, but not all of the pollutants.

For More Information

Contact at mukhtar@tamu.edu or (979)458-1019. For more information, read the following articles:New Technologies

Authors: Shafiqur Rahman and Saqib Mukhtar, Texas A&M University

This report was prepared for the 2008 annual meeting of the regional research committee, S-1032 "Animal Manure and Waste Utilization, Treatment and Nuisance Avoidance for a Sustainable Agriculture". This report is not peer-reviewed and the author has sole responsibility for the content.