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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 #393385
Research Project: Innovative Manure Treatment Technologies and Enhanced Soil Health for Agricultural Systems of the Southeastern Coastal Plain

Location: Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research

Title: Enhanced anaerobic digestion of swine manure by simultaneous ammonia recovery using gas-permeable membranes

Author
item GONZALEZ-GARCIA, ISABEL - Institute Of Castilla - Spain
item RIANO, BERTA - Institute Of Castilla - Spain
item MOLINUEVO-SALCES, BEATRIZ - Institute Of Castilla - Spain
item GRACIA-GONZALEZ, MARIA CRUZ - Institute Of Castilla - Spain
item Vanotti, Matias

Submitted to: Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/26/2022
Publication Date: 6/19/2022
Citation: Gonzalez-Garcia, I., Riano, B., Molinuevo-Salces, B., Gracia-Gonzalez, M., Vanotti, M.B. 2022. Enhanced anaerobic digestion of swine manure by simultaneous ammonia recovery using gas-permeable membranes. Symposium Proceedings.

Interpretive Summary: PROCEEDINGS.

Technical Abstract: Among the alternatives for improving manure management, anaerobic digestion (AD) is considered a solution. However, high ammonia (NH3) concentration in manure reduces the potential production of biogas due to inhibition of the microorganisms (methanogens). In the present study, the effect of NH3 removal using gas-permeable membrane (GPM) technology on AD process performance and biogas production was investigated using swine manure feedstock. Results showed a great potential of gas-permeable membrane technology to improve AD of swine manure while recovering ammonia from the digestate in the form of an ammonium salt. By coupling GPM system in the AD digester (AD-GPM configuration), an increase in the methane yield up to 28 percent (%) was detected compared to a control treatment without NH3 recovery. In addition, higher percentages of methane in biogas (8 to 14%) were found during AD with NH3 recovery. Ammonia was recovered and transformed in a concentrated ammonium sulfate solution. Therefore, the AD-GPM configuration produces beneficial results on both biogas quantity and quality while also recovering ammonia nitrogen in marketable ammonium salt.