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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #254683
Title: Sludge reduction and water quality improvement in anaerobic lagoons through influent pre-treatment

Author
item Szogi, Ariel
item Vanotti, Matias

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/30/2010
Publication Date: 6/17/2010
Citation: Szogi, A.A., Vanotti, M.B. 2010. Sludge reduction and water quality improvement in anaerobic lagoons through influent pre-treatment. In: Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting, Paper # 1008946, June 20-23, 2010, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 8 pp.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Confined swine production generates large volumes of wastewater typically stored and treated in anaerobic lagoons. These lagoons may require cleanup and closure measures in the future. In practice, liquid and sludge need to be removed by pumping, usually at great expense of energy, and land applied at agronomic rates on adjacent fields without damage to ground or surface water. Alternative lagoon cleanup methods were investigated in a pilot lagoon study by pre-treating the liquid swine manure prior entering the lagoon. The study consisted of comparing side by side the effect of solid-liquid separated effluent and a new advanced system (solid-liquid separation followed by biological N treatment) on water quality improvement and sludge mass reduction. As a control, an anaerobic lagoon regularly loaded with raw manure was included in the study. Lagoon liquid was monitored for water quality improvements on a monthly basis. After 15 months, water quality improvements with respect to the anaerobic lagoon control (such as reduction of suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand and N concentration) were moderate with separated liquid but highly significant with the biological N pre-treatment. Anaerobic sludge mass reduction with respect to the control was significant for both pre-treatments; sludge mass reduction was 34% with separated liquid alone and 45% with biological N pre-treatment. Implementation of this technology could resolve the problems of excess sludge distribution during lagoon clean up or extend lagoon life.