Preliminary investigation of air bubbling and dietary sulfur reduction to mitigate hydrogen sulfide and odor from swine waste

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality Vol. 34; no. 6; pp. 2018 - 2023
• Main Authors: Clark, O.G, Morin, B, Zhang, Y, Sauer, W.C, Feddes, J.J.R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society 01-11-2005; Crop Science Society of America; American Society of Agronomy
• Subjects: aeration; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Air; Air Pollutants - chemistry; Air pollution; Animal Husbandry - methods; animal manure management; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animal wastes; Animals; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Emissions; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental quality; Environmental regulations; Exact sciences and technology; experimental diets; feed composition; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gas emissions; Hydrogen sulfide; Hydrogen Sulfide - chemistry; Livestock; Manure; Manures; odor control; Odorants; Pig manure; Pollution; pollution control; Pollution, environment geology; Slurries; Soil contamination; Sulfur; Sulfur - chemistry; Sulfur - pharmacology; Sus scrofa; Swine; Swine houses; Ventilation; Waste Management - methods; Hydrogen Sulfides; Animal slurry; Pollutant emission; Pig barn; Pig manure; Trophic chain; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Diet; Swine; Sample conservation; Headspace; Air pollution; Ventilation; Livestock; Artiodactyla; Sulfur; Animal waste; Odor; Sus scrofa; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537
• DOI: 10.2134/jeq2004.0435

When livestock manure slurry is agitated, the sudden release of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can raise concentrations to dangerous levels. Low-level air bubbling and dietary S reduction were evaluated as methods for reducing peak H2S emissions from swine (Sus scrofa) manure slurry samples. In a first experiment, 15-L slurry samples were stored in bench-scale digesters and continuously bubbled with air at 0 (control), 5, or 10 mL min(-1) for 28 d. The 5-L headspace of each digester was also continuously ventilated at 40 mL min(-1) and the mean H2S concentration in the outlet air was <10 microliter L(-1). On Day 28, the slurry was agitated suddenly. The peak H2S concentration exceeded instrument range (>120 microliter L(-1)) from the control treatment, and was 47 and 3.4 microliter L(-1) for the 5 and 10 mL min(-1) treatments, respectively. In a second experiment, individually penned barrows were fed rations with dietary S concentrations of 0.34, 0.24, and 0.15% (w/w). Slurry derived from each diet was bubbled with air in bench-scale digesters, as before, at 10 mL min(-1) for 12 d and the mean H2S concentration in the digester outlet air was 11 microliter L(-1). On Day 12, the slurry was agitated but the H2S emissions did not change significantly. Both low-level bubbling of air through slurry and dietary S reduction appear to be viable methods for reducing peak H2S emissions from swine manure slurry at a bench scale, but these approaches must be validated at larger scales.