Progress 07/01/02 to 06/30/05
Outputs
Currently we are working with alternative methods of treating animal waste from confined animal feeding operations. Work conducted thus far includes applications in dairy, pork and turkey waste. Current animal waste management practices used on many mammalian confined animal feeding operations involve flushing animal waste from the barns to a lagoon or wetlands type system. Unfortunately, lagoons can become overflowing, malodorous waste problems. Without stirring and agitation, lagoons become anaerobic cesspools. With this fecal matter, inherent microbial populations include some well known pathogenic bacteria. Fecal effluents also contain high levels of the fertilizing nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. With increasing urban encroachment on animal feeding operations, it is expected that regulation of animal waste will continue to increase. In our laboratory, we have developed several methods of treating animal waste to reduce odors, destroy bacteria and to
reduce the environmental impact of animal waste. Through our research, we developed more efficient means of introducing ozone into dairy animal waste. After 20 minute labscale ozonation, we were able to completely destroy all color in freshly flushed dairy animal waste effluent, decreased the total bacteria count in fresh dairy animal waste effluent by more than 99.9%. and decreased the coliform bacteria count by 99.99%. Chemical Oxygen Demand - or COD - is a measurement of the amount of organic material present in wastewater. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) was reduced by approximately 52% after 20 minute labscale ozonation. Biochemical Oxygen Demand - or BOD - is a measurement of the amount of biologically degradeable organic material in wastewater. After 20 minute labscale ozonation, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) was reduced by approximately 74%. Analysis of treated dairy animal waste effluent by GLC and HPLC indicated that malodorous fecal compounds of skatole, indole and
cresol which in the wastewater were greatly reduced. A pilot study of our research was conducted at the Clemson University LaMaster Dairy Farm. In this study, we ozonated dairy animal waste effluent as it was flushed from the barn. Similar results as determined in labscale studies were noted. Additionally, we determined that the treatment method caused significant decreases in nitrogen and phosphorus levels. Preliminary research indicates that we can reduce phosphorus levels from 10% to 60% or greater depending on the process used. Work is continuing in this area. We have been granted three U.S. patents on the animal waste treatment process and we have additional related patent applications under submission. We await commercialization of the method through the Clemson University Technology Transfer Office.
Impacts
This research supports a patented process for treating animal waste. This process destroys odors and greatly reduces organic loads in animal wastewater. The impact of this research will be to assist farmers in their animal waste remediation needs.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
In farm-scale ozonation studies of dairy animal waste, a significant difference was observed in chemical oxygen demand (COD) between untreated samples and samples ozonated for 10 hrs. Mean COD was reduced from 2140 mg O2/L at 0 hr to 1233 mg O2/L at 10 hr which equates to a 42% reduction. A 93% decrease was observed in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) measurements (22.5 mg O2/L in the untreated to 1.5 mg O2/L in the 10 hr ozonated samples). Turbidity visibly decreased throughout ozonation. Using a spectrophotometric assay to quantitate turbidity in units of NTUs, a significant mean difference (alpha = 0.05) was noted from 1539 NTU's in samples with no treatment to 407 NTU's in samples ozonated for 10 hrs. A 44% decrease was noted in percent solids in the wastewater over ozonation time. Initially, untreated samples contained 0.32% solids and after 10 hr ozonation this was significantly decreased (alpha = 0.01) to 0.18% in samples ozonated for 10 hrs. Using HPLC
analysis, mean concentration of indole, cresol, and skatole were observed in untreated vs. 10 hr ozone treated samples. Mean indole concentrations decreased by 85% (from 0.1835 ug/L to 0.0271 ug/L), mean cresol concentrations decreased by 94% (from 0.4230 ug/L to 0.0243 ug/L) and mean skatole concentrations decreased by 85% (from 0.2111 ug/L to 0.0316 ug/L). After a 2.5 hr ozonation treatment, a 74% decrease was observed in coliform bacterial populations. After 5 hrs of ozonation, coliform populations were undetectable in the treated dairy animal wastewater. A 91% reduction was observed in bacterial populations enumerated before and after 10 hr ozonation treatment on standard plate count agar.
Impacts
This research supports a patented process for treating animal waste. This process destroys odors and greatly reduces organic loads in animal wastewater. The impact of this research will be to assist farmers in their animal waste remediation needs.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Swine animal waste samples were collected from the feed floor of the Starkey Swine Center, Clemson University, Clemson, SC and transported to the laboratory for treatment and analysis. Samples were ozonated using a Longmark Pure Power O3+ ozonater (Yreka, CA). The ozone was bubbled through the sample as follows: a 75 ml sample of wastewater was transferred into a 125ml Ace Glass Bubbling Unit (Vineland, NJ). Subsamples (10ml) were collected using a sterile 10ml pipette at 0 min, 30 min, and 60 min of ozonation and stored under refrigeration (4C) until used for further analysis. Samples were collected and stored in sterile 50 ml polypropylene conical centrifuge tubes (VWR brand Scientific Products). Chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels were significantly decreased between the untreated samples (0 min) and treated samples (30 min and 60 min) (P < .0001). The lsmean COD level was reduced by 12.3% and 18.1%, respectively, between 0 min and 30 min ozonation and between 0
min and 60 min ozonation. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) levels decreased between 0 min and 30 min ozonation and increased between 30 min and 60 min ozonation although there was no significant difference over all treatment times. Similar results have been obtained in previous research in this laboratory. The total percent solids of swine samples significantly decreased by 90.3% and 93.9%, respectively, at time 30 min and 60 min of ozonation as compared to 0 min (P < .0001). Ozonation causes progressive oxidation and degradation of organic compounds. Decreases in total percent solids in wastewater are consistent with results obtained in previous research in this laboratory. The coliform bacterial count of swine samples significantly decreased by 17.9% and 33.0% from 0 min to 30 min ozonation and from 0 min to 60 min ozonation, respectively. The aerobic bacterial content of swine samples significantly decreased by 15.7% and 28.8%, between 0 min and 30 min ozonation and between 0 min
and 60 min ozonation, respectively (P < .0001). Decreases in coliform bacterial counts and aerobic bacterial plate counts with increasing ozonation treatment were expected since ozone is a potent oxidizing agent that readily destroys a wide variety of microorganisms. Ozone causes oxidation of the bacterial cell wall and disrupts enzymes that are necessary for growth, metabolism and respiration.
Impacts
This research supports a patented process for treating animal waste. This process destroys odors and greatly reduces organic loads in animal wastewater. The impact of this research will be to assist farmers in their animal waste remediation needs.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
In experiments conducted in this laboratory, dairy farm wastewater was ozonated on a labscale basis. Twenty minute ozonation (0.5 ppm ozone) caused a 99.9% reduction in total aerobic bacterial counts and 99.99% reduction in coliform bacterial count. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) was reduced by approximately 52% and the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) was reduced by approximately 75%. Analysis by GLC and HPLC indicated that malodorous fecal compounds in the wastewater were greatly reduced. A preliminary examination of recycled wastewater collected from the farm flush water holding tanks indicated high coliform content.
Impacts
Ozonation of dairy animal waste promises to signficantly reduce odors and organic waste components.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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