Production of value-added chars and activated carbons from animal manure

Authors: Lima, Isabel; Klasson, K Thomas

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/24/2010
Publication Date: 9/13/2010
Citation: Lima, I.M., Klasson, K.T. 2010. Production of value-added chars and activated carbons from animal manure. In: Marques dos Santos Cordovil, C.S.C., Ferreira, L. (eds) Treatment and Use of Organic Residues in Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities Towards Sustainable Management, Proceedings of the 14th RAMIRAN International Conference of the FAO ESCORENA Network on the Recycling of Agricultural, Municipal and Industrial Residues in Agriculture, ISA Press, Lisbon, Portugal. Paper 0200, 5 pp.

Interpretive Summary: The United States has a strong agricultural foundation that leaves behind large quantities of animal wastes. In the United States, an estimated 9 billion broilers, 256 million turkeys, 62 million pigs and 97 million dairy cows were produced in 2006 producing 5 times the waste of the U.S. human population. This substantial quantity of manure may pose a threat to public health and the environment. Solutions to the transformation of manure into valuable products are much more desirable than their current methods of disposal. Production of activated carbons can be an excellent reuse of these waste materials. The Southern Regional Research Center, SRRC, as part of the Agricultural Research Service, ARS of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has shown that it is feasible to convert animal manure, particularly poultry litter into chars and granular activated carbons used for heavy metals remediation in waste waters, using laboratory prepared solutions. Pyrolytic products or chars are low porosity, lower surface area materials that are intermediate products in the development of activated carbons. Toxic metals contamination of various water sources is a significant problem in many parts of the United States. Neither chars nor activated carbons, which can be produced from a number of precursor materials including coal, wood and agricultural plant wastes, have been examined for remediation of this problem. We’ve been characterizing these chars and activated carbons for their physical properties and most importantly their ability to adsorb metal ions, ammonia and mercury.

Technical Abstract: The United States has a strong agricultural foundation that leaves behind large quantities of animal wastes. In the United States, an estimated 9 billion broilers, 256 million turkeys, 62 million pigs and 97 million dairy cows were produced in 2006 producing 5 times the waste of the U.S. human population. This substantial quantity of manure may pose a threat to public health and the environment. The potential hazard derives from repeated land disposal within a specific area leading to soil saturation of certain elements, such as phosphorus, and increasing pollution due to run-off from rainstorms and penetration into the groundwater. Solutions to the transformation of manure into valuable products are much more desirable than their current methods of disposal. Production of activated carbons can be an excellent reuse of these waste materials. Water quality and public health impacts of animal manure produced at large concentrated animal facilities prompted the need for viable solutions for their conversion and reuse. Our laboratory at the Southern Regional Research Center, SRRC, as part of the Agricultural Research Service, ARS of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has shown that it is feasible to convert animal manure, particularly poultry litter into chars and granular activated carbons used for heavy metals remediation in waste waters, using laboratory prepared solutions. Pyrolytic products or chars are low porosity, lower surface area materials that are intermediate products in the development of activated carbons. Toxic metals contamination of various water sources is a significant problem in many parts of the United States. Neither chars nor activated carbons, which can be produced from a number of precursor materials including coal, wood and agricultural plant wastes, have been examined for remediation of this problem. We’ve been characterizing these chars and activated carbons for their physical properties and most importantly their ability to adsorb metal ions, ammonia and mercury.