Identification of Effective Microbes for Ammonia and Odor Removal from Animal Manure

Abstract

In intensive livestock husbandry, the issue with ammonia (NH3) emissions and odors is still only par¬tially solved. The main reason is the insufficiently detailed knowledge of processes taking place in animal wastes due to the large number of involved microorganisms. The emitted NH3 is directly implicated in the formation of PM2.5 (“fine particles”) in the atmosphere, water eutrophication and soil acidification, contrib¬utes indirectly to N2O emissions, has an adverse impact on animal health and productivity and decreases manure fertilizing value. The development of technologies for control of emissions from livestock opera¬tions requires investigations on mechanisms of these reductions, in particular with respect to microbial ad¬ditives for manure treatment. A number of microbial strains of great practical importance for mitigation of animal excreta odor are studied. The mechanisms of inhibition of ammonia production and odors include: 1) assimilation of ammonia and odorous components; 2) oxidation of ammonia to non-volatile nitrogen compounds (nitrification); 3) reduction of manure pH by organic acids production; 4) аntimicrobial activity against ammonifying and odor-generating microorganisms. The effects of different microbial communities and proportions on odor removal should be studied in order to develop efficient odor eliminators.