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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Bowling Green, Kentucky » Food Animal Environmental Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #300800
Title: Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from a waste lagoon

Author
item QUINTANAR, ARTURO - Western Kentucky University
item MAHMOOD, REZUAL - Western Kentucky University
item Lovanh, Nanh
item RAWLEY, J - University Of South Carolina
item BECERRA-ACOSTA, E - Western Kentucky University
item Loughrin, John

Submitted to: Applied Engineering in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2013
Publication Date: 10/10/2013
Citation: Quintanar, A., Mahmood, R., Lovanh, N.C., Rawley, J.M., Becerra-Acosta, E., Loughrin, J.H. 2013. Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from a waste lagoon. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 29(4):511-519.

Interpretive Summary: A lower-cost method for estimating energy fluxes and greenhouse gases (GHG) emission was carried out and evaluated. The system is based on the relationship between the meteorological physical variables that characterize the state of the waste lagoon and overall GHG emissions. A series of meteorological and GHG measurements were completed to quantify their relationships. Relative humidity and temperature, with the latter measured above and below the surface of the lagoon, served to characterize the energy fluxes at the lagoon interface. The relationship between emission of the greenhouse gases and energy fluxes from a swine waste lagoon was determined. Energy fluxes were calculated using a known meteorological method. The energy fluxes showed a diurnal pattern during daily periods. We found that air temperature and latent energy, lagoon surface temperature and solar radiation as well as air temperature and wind speed can be used to predict for greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) emissions. Comparison of observed and predicted emissions provided higher correlation values for methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. This research shows that long-term studies of GHG emissions and meteorological conditions is necessary to better understand the factors controlling the emissions of GHG in order to devise best management practices (BMP) for their control during storage period in livestock waste lagoons or receptacles.

Technical Abstract: A cost-effective approach was used to investigate the relationship between emission of the greenhouse gases (GHG) CO2, CH4, and N2O and energy fluxes from a swine waste lagoon. Energy fluxes were calculated using the Penman method. The energy fluxes showed a diurnal pattern as expected of such fluxes. We found that air temperature and latent energy, lagoon surface temperature and solar radiation as well as air temperature and wind speed can be used to predict for CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions, respectively. Comparison of observed and predicted emissions provided r2 values of 0.49, 0.61 and 0.69 for CH4, N2O and CO2, respectively. This research shows that long-term studies of GHG emissions and meteorological conditions is necessary to better understand the factors controlling the emissions of GHG in order to devise best management practices (BMP) for their control.