Ammonia and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Different Types of Livestock and Poultry Manure During Storage

Greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector can be reduced through implementation of improved management practices. For example, the choice of manure storage method should be based on environmental decision criteria, as well as production capacity. In this study, greenhouse gas emissions from three methods of storing dairy and beef cattle manure were compared during the summer period. The emissions of CH4 ,N 2O and CO2 from manure stored as slurry, stockpile, and compost were measured using a flowthrough closed chamber. The largest combined N2O–CH4 emissions in CO2 equivalent were observed from the slurry storage, followed by the stockpile and lastly the passively aerated compost. This ranking was governed by CH4 emissions in relation to the degree of aerobic conditions within the manure. The radiative forcing in CO2 equivalent from the stockpiled manure was 1.46 times higher than from the compost for both types of cattle manure. It was almost twice as high from the dairy cattle manure slurry and four to seven times higher from the beef cattle manure slurry than from the compost. The potential reduction of GHG was estimated, by extrapolating the results of the study to all of Canada. By composting all the cattle manure stored as slurry and stockpile, a reduction of 0.70 Tg CO2-eq year � 1 would be achieved. Similarly, by collecting and burning CH4 emissions from existing slurry facilities, a reduction of 0.76 Tg CO2eq year � 1 would be achieved. New CH4 emission factors were estimated based on these results and incorporated into the IPCC methodology. For North-America under cool conditions, the CH4 emission factors would be 45 kg CH4 hd � 1 year � 1 for dairy cattle manure rather than 36 kg CH4 hd � 1 year � 1 , and 3k g CH 4 hd � 1 year � 1 for beef cattle manure rather than 1 kg CH4 hd � 1 year � 1 .

Veterinary drugs are widely present in animal manure and manure-based fertilizers, making their safety for use as soil amendments still ambiguous. This study investigated the concentrations of 17 typical veterinary drugs in animal manure and manure-based fertilizers from Shandong Province using solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and assessed their environmental risks to soil organisms based on risk quotient values. The established method demonstrated robust performance, with drug recovery rates ranging from 72.9% to 109%. Tetracyclines were identified as the most prevalent contaminants, with mean concentrations of 1522 μg/kg in animal manure and 144 μg/kg in manure-based fertilizers. Drug concentrations in manure-based fertilizers were generally lower than those in animal manure. Livestock manure contained higher drug concentrations compared to poultry manure. Influenced by farming practices, drug concentrations were higher in beef cattle manure than in dairy cattle manure, and higher in broiler manure than in layer manure. Manure-based fertilizers primarily derived their drug content from chicken, cattle, and sheep manure. Tetracyclines in swine and sheep manure posed high risks to soil organisms, while those in beef cattle manure and dairy cattle manure posed medium risks. In contrast, most drugs in manure-based fertilizers exhibited low risks. Comprehensive analysis of both concentration levels and ecological risks indicates that manure-based fertilizers represent a more feasible option for soil amendment. This study provides a theoretical foundation for better understanding the feasibility of applying animal manure and manure-based fertilizers to agricultural land.

Abstracts of Nippon Dojo-Hiryogaku Zasshi

Mesophilic and thermophilic biomethane production by co-digesting pretreated petrochemical wastewater with beef and dairy cattle manure

Different characteristics of greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions from conventional stored dairy cattle and swine manure in China

Psychrophilic digestion of dairy cattle and pig manure: Start-up procedures of batch, fed-batch and CSTR-type digesters

Organic manures arising from livestock production provide a source of plant nutrients when applied to agricultural land. However, only about 52% of the N excreted by livestock is estimated to be recycled as a plant nutrient. The ­greatest losses of N from livestock excreta and manures are as gaseous emissions. These emissions are in the form of ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Ammonia forms particles in the atmosphere which reduce visibility and may also harm human health, and when deposited to land NH3 causes nutrient enrichment of soil. Nitrous oxide and CH4 contribute significantly to global warming and N2O can also cause the breakdown of the protective ozone layer in the upper atmosphere. We established a database of emissions from solid manures. Statistical analysis provided new information, focussing on developing emission factors, emission algorithms and also new understanding of emission patterns from solid manure. The review found that housing systems with deep litter emit more NH3 than tied stalls. This is likely to be because the emitting surface area in a tied stall is smaller. Laying hens emit more NH3 than broilers and reduced-emission housing systems for poultry, including the aviary system, can reduce NH3 emissions by between 50% and 80%. The greatest N2O-N emissions from buildings housing livestock were also from deep litter systems, but the amount of N2O-N was smaller than that of NH3-N by a factor of 15. Air exchange and temperature increase induced by aerobic decomposition during manure storage may greatly increase NH3 emission. Emissions of 0.25–0.30 of the total-N have been recorded from pig and cattle manure heaps undergoing aerobic decomposition. Increased density of manure during storage significantly decreased temperatures in manure heaps. Storing solid manures at high density also reduces air exchange which with the low temperature limits the formation and transfer of NH3 to the surface layers of the heap, reducing emissions. Most N2O emission estimates from cattle and pig manure have been between 0.001 and 0.009 of total-N. Emission of N2O from poultry manure tends to be small. Average unabated NH3 emissions following application of manure were 0.79, 0.63 and 0.40 of total ammoniacal-N (TAN) from cattle, pig and poultry manure respectively. The smaller emission from poultry manure is expected as hydrolysis of uric acid to urea may take many months and is often incomplete even after application, hence limiting the potential for NH3 emission. Manure incorporation within 4 h after application reduced emission on average by 32%, 92% and 85% for cattle, pig and poultry manure respectively. Reductions following incorporation within 24 h or more after application were 20%, 56% and 50% for cattle, pigs and poultry, respectively. Incorporation by disc or harrow reduced NH3 emissions less than incorporation by plough. Emissions of N2O following the application of cattle manure were 0.12 of TAN without incorporation after application and 0.073 TAN with incorporation after application. Conversely, emissions following application of pig and poultry manures were 0.003 and 0.001 TAN respectively without and 0.035 and 0.089 TAN respectively with incorporation after application.

Some physical properties of four types of manure: laying chicken manure, broiler manure, beef cattle manure, and daily* cattle manure, have been studied. Each type of manure was prepared at four levels of moisture content i.e.. 10. 20. 30. and 40%wb. The results showed that: the appearance bulk density tends to increase with increasing moisture content. The angle of friction was independent of moisture content on all surfaces. The angle of repose of all manure varies significantly with moisture content. The centrifugal dispersion behaviour of each type of manure was different, but the distribution pattern of the same type of manure was not different when the moisture level was increased.

Manure is applied to cropland areas managed under diverse conditions, resulting in varying amounts of residue cover. The objective of this study was to measure the effects of crop residue on nutrient concentrations in runoff from areas where beef cattle or swine manure were recently applied but not incorporated. Plots 0.75 m wide by 2 m long were established at the study site. Existing residue materials were removed, and corn, soybean, or winter wheat residue was added at rates of 2, 4, or 8 Mg ha-1. Manure was then applied at rates required to meet estimated annual nitrogen requirements for corn. Control plots with manure but no residue, and plots with no residue and no manure were also established. Three 30 min simulated rainfall events, separated by 24 h intervals, were conducted at an intensity of approximately 70 mm h-1. Dissolved phosphorus (DP), total phosphorus (TP), NO3-N, NH4-N, total nitrogen, runoff, and soil loss were measured for each rainfall event. When beef cattle or swine manure was applied to plots containing residue materials, nutrient concentrations in runoff were not affected by the amount of crop residue on the soil surface. Concentrations of DP and NO3-N in runoff from the plots with beef cattle manure were significantly greater on the plots with residue than on the no-residue treatments. No significant differences in runoff nutrient concentrations were found between the residue and no-residue treatments with swine manure. Concentrations of DP and TP were significantly less on the no-residue/no-manure treatment than on the plots with beef cattle or swine manure.

Animal manure is an important source of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. However, the difference of antibiotic residues and ARG profiles in layer and broiler manure as well as their compost remains unexplored. In this study, we investigated the profiles of twelve antibiotics, seventeen ARGs, and class 1 integrase gene (intI1) in layer and broiler manure, and the corresponding compost at large-scale. Compared with layer manure, broiler manure exhibited approximately six times more residual tetracyclines, especially chlortetracycline. The relative abundances of qnrS and ermA genes in broiler manure were significantly higher than those in layer manure. The concentration of tetracyclines not only had a significantly positive correlation with tetracycline resistance genes (tetA and tetC) but was also positively correlated with quinolone resistance (qepA, qnrB, and qnrS) and macrolide resistance (ermA and ermT). Most ARGs in manure were reduced after composting. However, the relative abundance of sulfonamide resistance gene sul1 increased up to 2.41% after composting, which was significantly higher than that of broiler (0.41%) and layer (0.62%) manure. The associated bacterial community was characterized by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The relative abundances of thermophilic bacteria had significant positive correlations with the abundance of sul1 in compost. The composting has a significant impact on the ARG-associated gut microbes in poultry manure. Variation partitioning analysis indicated that the change of bacterial community compositions and antibiotics contributed partially to the shift in ARG profiles. The results indicate that at industry-scale production broiler manure had more antibiotics and ARGs than layer manure did, and composting decreased most ARG abundances in poultry manure except for sulfonamide resistance genes.

Animal manures as feedstuffs: Cattle manure feeding trials

Livestock manure applied to agricultural land is one of the ways natural steroid estrogens enter soils. To examine the impact of long-term solid beef cattle (Bos Taurus) manure on soil properties and 17β-estradiol sorption and mineralization, this study utilized a soil that had received beef cattle manure over 35 years. The 17β-estradiol was strongly sorbed and sorption significantly increased (P < 0.05) with increasing soil organic carbon content (SOC) and with an increasing annual rate of beef cattle manure. The 17β-estradiol mineralization half-life was significantly negatively correlated, and the total amount of 17β-estradiol mineralized at 90 days (MAX) was significantly positively correlated with 17β-estradiol sorption. The long-term rate of manure application had no significant effect on MAX, but the addition of fresh beef cattle manure in the laboratory resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) smaller MAX values. None of the treatments showed MAX values exceeding one-third of the 17β-estradiol applied.

The livestock industry produces large volumes of cattle manure, which can be used as an organic fertilizer after composting and renewable energy after anaerobic digestion. In the anaerobic digestion process, cattle manure is usually stored in a cowshed until it is transferred to treatment facilities, and its physicochemical characteristics vary depending on this storage environment. Any change in these characteristics acts as a source of instability in the operation of an anaerobic digester. This study investigated the physicochemical characteristics and biochemical methane potential of cattle manure between seasons. The total solid content of Hanwoo (Korean beef) cattle manure and dairy cattle manure was 29.1 ~ 33.8 and 21.1 ~ 29.5% (by wet wt.), respectively, while the biochemical methane potential was 113.3 ~ 180.8 mLCH₄/g-VS for Hanwoo cattle manure and 94.0 ~ 166.2 mL-CH₄/g-VS for dairy cattle manure. The amount of methane generated per wet weight of cattle manure, taking into account the change in volatile solid content and biochemical methane potential, differed by 42.8% for Hanwoo cattle manure and 129% for dairy cattle manure. No distinct seasonal patterns in the physicochemical characteristics of the manure were observed due to the influence of other factors (e.g., the storage period). Overall, these results indicate that it is important to design treatment facilities that consider variations in the physicochemical properties and methane generation of cattle manure.

The objective of this paper is to summarize the available literature on the concentrations and emissions of odor, ammonia, nitrous oxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane, non-methane volatile organic carbon, dust, and microbial and endotoxin aerosols from livestock and poultry buildings and manure management systems (storage and treatment units). Animal production operations are a source of numerous airborne contaminants including gases, odor, dust, and microorganisms. Gases and odors are generated from livestock and poultry manure decomposition (1) shortly after it is produced, (2) during storage and treatment, and (3) during land application. Particulate matter and dust are primarily composed of feed and animal matter including hair, feathers, and feces. Microorganisms that populate the gastro-intestinal systems of animals are present in freshly excreted manure. Other types of microorganisms colonize the manure during the storage and treatment processes. The generation rates of odor, manure gases, microorganisms, particulates, and other constituents vary with weather, time, species, housing, manure handling system, feed type, and management system. Therefore, predicting the concentrations and emissions of these constituents is extremely difficult. Numerous control strategies are being investigated to reduce the generation of airborne materials. However, airborne contaminants will continue to be generated from livestock and poultry operations even when best management systems and/or mitigation techniques are employed. Livestock and poultry buildings may contain concentrations of contaminants that negatively affect human and animal health. Most of these health concerns are associated with chronic or longterm exposure to gases, dust, or microorganisms. However, acute or short-term exposures to high concentrations of certain constituents can also have a negative effect on both human and animal health. For example, the agitation and pumping of liquid manure inside a livestock building can generate concentrations of hydrogen sulfide that are lethal to humans and animals. Once airborne contaminants are generated they can be emitted from the sources (building, manure storage, manure treatment unit, or cropland) through ventilation systems or by natural (weather) forces. The quantification of emissions or emission rates for gases, odor, dust, and microorganisms from both point sources (buildings) and area sources (beef and dairy cattle feedlot surfaces, manure storage and treatment units and manure applied on cropland) is being intensely researched in the U.S., in many European countries, Japan, and Australia. However, the accurate quantification of emissions is difficult since so many factors (time of year and day, temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar intensity and other weather conditions, ventilation rates, housing type, manure properties or characteristics, and animal species, stocking density, and age) are involved in the generation and dispersion of airborne materials. Furthermore, there are no standardized methods for the collection, measurement and calculation of such constituents, resulting in significant variability and large ranges in the published literature. In fact, emission rates of only a few airborne contaminants have been investigated. Ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methane emissions have been more thoroughly studied than other gases and compounds because of the negative environmental impacts or human health concerns associated with them. Unfortunately, there is very little emission data for other contaminants such as odor, nitrous oxide, non-methane volatile organic compounds, dust, and endotoxins. The long-term impacts of these constituents on the environment and on human health are also not known.

This study was performed to determine the forms of P and to examine the influence of oven-drying on P forms in different organic amendments. Samples of biosolids, beef and dairy cattle manures, and hog manures from sow and nursery barns were used in this study. Both fresh and oven-dried amendments were analyzed for inorganic (Pi), organic (Po), and total phosphorus using a modified Hedley fractionation technique. Water extracted about 10% of total biosolids P and 30 to 40% of total hog and cattle manure P. The amount of P extracted by NaHCO3 ranged from 21 to 32% of total P in all organic amendments except in the dairy cattle manure with 45% of total P. The labile P fraction (sum of H2O- and NaHCO3-extractable P) was 24% of biosolids P, 60% of hog manure P, and 70% of dairy cattle manure P. The residual P was about 10% in biosolids and cattle manures and 5 to 8% in hog manures. Oven-drying caused a transformation in forms of P in the organic amendments. In hog manures, H2O-extractable Po was transformed to Pi, while in the dairy manure NaHCO3-extractable P was converted to H2O-extractable Pi with oven-drying. Therefore, caution should be exercised in using oven-drying for studies that evaluate forms of P in organic amendments. Overall, these results indicate that biosolids P may be less susceptible to loss by water when added to agricultural land.