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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Bowling Green, Kentucky » Food Animal Environmental Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #232010
Title: Evaluation of second-generation multistage wastewater treatment system for the removal of malodorous compounds from liquid swine waste

Author
item Loughrin, John
item Vanotti, Matias
item Szogi, Ariel
item Lovanh, Nanh

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2009
Publication Date: 6/23/2009
Citation: Loughrin, J.H., Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A., Lovanh, N.C. 2009. Evaluation of second-generation multistage wastewater treatment system for the removal of malodorous compounds from liquid swine waste. Journal of Environmental Quality. 38:1739-1748.

Interpretive Summary: Reductions in malodor that were due to a second generation Environmentally Superior Technology (EST) wastewater treatment plant were studied over 15 months that included three cycles of pig rearing. The wastewater treatment system consisted of three modules: solids separation, biological nitrogen removal, and phosphorus recovery/wastewater disinfection. While approximately over 90% of the wastewater solids were removed in the first stage of treatment, little reduction in malodorous compounds occurred, indicating that malodors largely remained with the liquid waste stream. The greatest improvements in wastewater quality occurred in the nitrogen treatment module: there was over 90% reduction in malodors as compared to the raw flushed manure. The system consistently achieved high performance standards, even during the first cycle of livestock production when system performance was being optimized. These findings showed that the combination of two simple processes into a practical treatment system can be very effective in reducing malodors from livestock wastewater.

Technical Abstract: Reductions in wastewater malodor that were effected by a second generation implementation of Environmentally Superior Technology (EST) were monitored over a 15 month period that encompassed three cycles of pig production. The wastewater treatment system consisted of three modules: solids separation, biological nitrogen removal, and phosphorus recovery/wastewater disinfection. While approximately over 90% of the wastewater suspended solids were removed in the first stage of treatment, little reduction in malodorous compounds occurred, indicating that malodors largely remained with the liquid waste stream. The greatest improvements in wastewater quality occurred in the nitrogen treatment module: there was over 99% reduction in aromatic malodors (e.g. p-cresol, skatole) and almost 90% reduction in volatile fatty acids (e.g. propanoate and butanoate) in nitrogen module effluent as compared to raw flushed manure. The system consistently achieved high performance standards, even during the first cycle of livestock production when system performance was being optimized. These findings showed that the combination of two simple processes into a practical treatment system can be very effective in reducing malodors from livestock wastewater.