(Invited) Electrolysis of Liquid Dairy Cow Manure into Clean Reusable Water

Abstract

Livestock wastewater management is a critical concern in the United States, with an annual production of 1.2 to 1.37 billion tons of waste, surpassing human waste by three to twenty times. This mismanagement poses significant threats to freshwater sources, ecosystems, and public health. Agriwater’s project proposes an innovative solution using electrocoagulation (EC) treatment. The EC technique is a process involving the intentional corrosion of aluminum or iron electrodes to introduce trivalent ions, facilitating the co-precipitation and coagulation of contaminants, making their removal as sludge easier. The project's primary objective is to use electrolysis to convert liquid animal waste into clean water for irrigation, drinking, and farm maintenance. This solution is vital for various farms, including those facing drought, zero-discharge, and EPA-permitted farms discharging manure into rivers. Preliminary research shows EC's potential to significantly reduce turbidity and phosphate levels in livestock wastewater, forming the basis for scalable on-site treatment. The project team, with expertise in electrolysis, wastewater treatment, and agricultural engineering, ensures the development of an industrial-grade water treatment system. This project is in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee's Dairy Farm and addresses immediate environmental challenges that contribute to a more sustainable and responsible agricultural industry.