Title: Manure-pH Management for Mitigating Ammonia Emissions from Dairy Barns and Liquid Manure Storages
Abstract: <abstract> <b><sc>Abstract. </sc></b>Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are important sources of NH<sub>3</sub> emissions. Manure acidification, however, has the potential to significantly mitigate NH<sub>3</sub> emissions. This research investigated achievable NH<sub>3</sub> emission mitigation in a dairy barn when maintaining a pH < 6 in the recycle flush water. The proof-of-the-concept was evaluated in a bench-scale study, while a pilot-scale dairy barn model was constructed to simulate actual manure flush systems. Two manure-pH management strategies were tested at the pilot-scale: (i) pH-adjustment of flush water, and (ii) sprinkler-irrigation of manure alleys with acid water between scheduled flushing events. A separate study was conducted to evaluate further NH<sub>3</sub> emission mitigation probable during post-collection storage of treated manure. Ammonia measurements were made using a closed-chamber method coupled with a photoacoustic IR multigas analyzer. The mean cumulative NH<sub>3</sub> emissions during the 1-h study period were 47.0, 13.9, and 6.1 mg for control, pH-adjusted flush water, and irrigating manure alleys with acid water between scheduled manure-flushing events, respectively. Recycling of pH adjusted flush water reduced the dosage of acid by 86% within the first two cycles. Adjustment of manure pH in the barn to about 5.0 further reduced NH<sub>3</sub> emissions during storage of barn effluents by 39% compared with storage of untreated flushed manure. The results from this research indicate significant potential mitigations of NH<sub>3</sub> emissions from dairy barns as well as in subsequent storage of effluents; while also demonstrating that operating the flushing system in a closed-loop results in significant cost reduction from reduced acid dosages.
Publication Year: 2017
Publication Date: 2017-03-27
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 5
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