Cattle Waste Research Articles

Application of BS4-enzyme on the methane production from mixture of cattle manures and waste paper

<p class="abstrak2">Cellulose from abundant newspaper waste could be transformed into methane through anaerobic fermentation. This research was carried out to compare the gas production including methane between samples containing feces and waste paper mixture as inoculum and substrate, respectively and added with and without BS4 enzyme. The enzyme was produced in Indonesian Research Institute of Animal Produce (IRIAP) by growing Eupenicillium javanicum BS4 in coconut meals. There were three treatments, i.e., 30% manure (M30); 15 % manure + 15 % paper waste (MP 30); MP30 + 3 mL BS4 enzyme equal to 0.42 U/g dry matter (MPE30) The percentage of waste papers addition in feces was calculated on dry matter (DM) basis and every treatment had five replications. Total gas and methane productions were measured weekly, while dry matter losses were determined during 5 week fermentation. Interactions between treatments and incubation time were analyzed using completely randomized design each week. Kind of substrates influenced both total gas and methane productions during incubation time. Both waste papers and enzyme addition enhanced gas production. The highest total gas and methane productions for five weeks incubation were highly significantly observed (P<0.01) in MP30 and MPE30 compared to M30. Addition of enzyme significantly increased total gas and methane productions in the first week. The highest methane and total gas yield/g dry matter were obtained by BS4 enzyme addition. It was concluded that BS4 enzyme is good in accelerating and increasing the transformation efficiency of waste paper and manure mixture for biogas production.</p><p><strong>Key Words</strong>: Methane, Fibrenolytic-Enzyme, Waste Papers, Cattle Manures</p>

Emission Inventory for NH3, N2O, and CH4 of Animal Husbandry Activities: A case in Tho Vinh Commune, Kim Dong Distric, Hung Yen Province

Animal husbandry contributes to emission of greenhouse gases. The aim of this study is emission inventory of greenhouse gas (NH3, N2O and CH4) from animal husbandry activities in Tho Vinh commune, Kim Dong distric, Hung Yen province. Animal population in 2015 of the commune is 1.160 of pigs, 18 of buffalos, 62 of dairy cows, 22 of beefs, 18.360 of chickens, 3.913 of ducks, and 1.357 of musk ducks. Total estimated gas emissions from animal husbandy in Tho Vinh in 2015 are NH3 (4.946 kg), N2O (812,65 kg), and CH4 (12.084,16 kg) approximatly. CH4 emmion from feed intake and cattle waste management processes from buffalo and cow are 6.568,82 kg và 5.515,34 kg respectivly. NH3 is mostly emitted by poultry (2.835,6 kg, accounted for 57%). N2O and CH4 emitted mainly from pig are 417,6 kg (51%) and 4.640 kg (31%). The highest animal population and husbandry households concentrated in Dong Hung hamlet, which results in higest gas emission.

Aminipila butyrica gen. nov., sp. nov., a strictly anaerobic, arginine-decomposing bacterium isolated from a methanogenic reactor of cattle waste.

A strictly anaerobic bacterial strain (FH042T) was isolated from a methanogenic reactor treating waste from cattle farms. Cells were stained Gram-positive, straight to gently curved rods with polar flagella. The strain was asaccharolytic. The strain fermented amino acids (l-arginine, l-lysine and l-serine) as growth substrates and produced acetate and butyrate. The optimum temperature for growth was 30 °C and the optimum pH was 6.1-6.8. Oxidase, catalase and nitrate-reducing activities were negative. Hydrogen sulfide was produced. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain FH042T was 44.7±0.2 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1ω9c DMA, C17 : 2/C17 : 1ω9c (as summed feature), C16 : 0 DMA and C14 : 0. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as a diagnostic amino acid. The most closely related described species on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences was Anaerovorax odorimutans in the family XIII Incertae Sedis in the order Clostridiales of the class Clostridia with sequence similarity of 95.1 %. Based on the distinct differences in phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics between strain FH042T and related species, Aminipila butyrica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate the strain. Type strain is FH042T (=JCM 31555T=DSM 103574T).

Effects of Animal Waste Addition on Food Waste Compost under Co-composting

Food waste has been recognized as a organic sources for composting and many research was conducted to efficiently utilize or treat. This study was to evaluate a feasibility for producing food waste compost under co-composting with mixture of food and animal waste. The mixing ratio of food and animal waste was 35% as main material, which additionally mixed 30% of sawdust for co-composting. Total days of composting experiment were 84 days and each sub samples were collected at every 7 days from starting of composting. Results showed that inner temperature in composting was rapidly increased to 70 ± 4°C within 3~5 days depending on mixing animal waste of cattle, pig, and chicken base compared to sole food waste base. Expecially, the CN ratio in the mixture of food and pig water was the highest (16.2) among compost. After finishing composting experiment, maturity was evaluated with solvita and germination test. Maturity index (MI) of the mixture of food and animal waste was ranged between 6~7, but was 3 in sole food waste. Calculated germination index (GI) was at the range of about 100 irrespectively of mixing of food and animal waste. However, NaCl content and heavy metal as Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn contents was increased in the mixture of food and animal waste. which was the highest in compost mixed the food and pig waste. Both MI and GI showed that manufactured fertilizer was suitable for fertilizer criteria while sole food waste was not adequate for composting due to composting periods. Overall, mixing the food and animal waste can be utilized for improving compost maturity, but more research should be conducted to make high quality of food waste compost with animal waste in agricultural fields. Changes of temperature in compost piles during co-composting with food and animal waste.

The biogas development in the Indonesian power generation sector

Climate change, pollution, and energy insecurity are currently critical worldwide problems. To improve worldwide energy security and supply, new policies regarding renewable energy and new infrastructure should be developed. Since 2006, Indonesia’s dependency on oil imports has been increasing significantly. Recent policies on renewable energy have been issued to cope with the issue. This study focuses on describing the feasibility of using biogas for energy production in Indonesia. Biogas contains 50–70% methane and 30–50% carbon dioxide and has a calorific value of 21–24MJ/Nm3. Therefore, it can be potentially altered to contain 97% methane prior to injecting into natural gas networks. The prospective derivation of biogas from cattle, pig, and chicken waste in Indonesia could reach approximately 79 Trillion Watt-hours (TWh). In order to use biogas for power generation, two scenarios were created. The electricity demand, the environmental impact and the reduction of GHG emissions were considered over the next 20 years. The first scenario depended on current energy policy and the second scenario depended on biogas as a substitute for the fossil fuel that is still used for generating power. The carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were estimated for each scenario. A resource analysis of the biogas derived from animal wastes was estimated and the economics of biogas production were described. Finally, the most recent renewable energy policies were described to promote the development of this sector.

Kajian Beberapa Jenis Pupuk dan Pestisida Organik Terhadap Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Tanaman Sawi di DKI Jakarta

Until the current level of dependence on agricultural products in DKI-Jakarta from other areas increasing, estimated level of vegetable consumption / capita in urban -9.8 1.1% higher if compared to rural areas. Increased production and plant health conducted with crop rotation, intercropping, planting the right varieties, biological pest control. One of the environmentally-friendly technologies that can be used to improve the quantity and quality of the horticultural farming is very suitable for the conditions in Jakarta are the organic farming. The purpose of the study, assessing alternative technology packages organic farming leaf vegetable crops in the dry season, conducted from May to December 2008. This assessment activities carried out in Rawasari, Jakarta-Central, involving 6 farmer cooperators. As the indicator is a mustard plant. The design used was a randomized block design with 6 replications and 4 were tested technology package include: a) BPTP fertilizer (from urban waste)+Pest control with Nemasal (botanical pesticides), b) Fertilizer Dharmajaya (from beef cattle waste)+Pest control with sweeping (sweep with cloth), c) Fertilizer Pegadungan (from enceng gondok+stater)+Pest control with sweeping and d) Farmers fertilizer (chicken manure+Urea)+control OPT with Curacron/decis. The results of study of organic technology package on leaf vegetable crops (mustard) in DKI-Jakarta showed that, using fertilizer Dharmajaya (waste from the abattoir) with sweeping OPT can increase the growth and yield of mustard plants, equivalent if using fertilizer formulations BPTP (waste from urban waste + enrichmen). With the use of packet 1, it gives the highest profit, ie the B / C ratio: 3.8. While the B / C ratio is the lowest obtained in the use of packet 3, the gain B / C ratio is less than 1. It shows that, organic farming technologies provide considerable opportunities high in leaf vegetable farming, especially in the mustard plant in the dry season. Keywords: fertilizers, pesticides, growth and yield

Utilization of tannery solid waste as an alternative biosorbent for acid dyes in wastewater treatment

In this work the cattle hair waste (CHW), a solid waste that is generated in the tannery, was tested as an alternative new biosorbent of acid dyes, in order to add value to this waste that was discarded and suggesting a life cycle extension for this material from leather processing. Commercially activated carbon (CAC) was used to compare the sorption capacity of CHW. The sorption experiments were performed in laboratory scale with aqueous dye solutions of Acid Blue 161 (AB-161) and Acid Black 210 (AB-210) and were carried out under varying operational parameters including initial pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, dye concentration and temperature. For the adsorption of the AB-161 and AB-210 dyes, the best kinetic model was described by general order kinetic. Liu isotherm model was well fitted with tested temperatures for AB-161 and AB-210 using CHW adsorbent. The maximum amounts of AB-161 dye adsorbed with CHW adsorbent were 104.78 (323K) and 26.29mgg−1 (303K) for AB-210. From the thermodynamic parameters for the adsorption of AB-161 and AB-210 with CHW and CAC indicated a not spontaneous endothermic process, with a physical reaction that dyes are arranged in orderly manner in the solid phase, resulting in a reduction in the disturbance of system.

Potential for domestic biogas as household energy supply in South Africa

Biogas is a clean and renewable form of energy accessible to low-income households through anaerobic digestion of readily available organic waste. The objectives of this desktop study were to investigate the feasibility of biogas use for substitution of presently used solid fuels in rural and peri-urban households, the subsequent health co-benefits, and the constraints to adoption of domestic biogas technology in South Africa. The energy demand of low-income South African households for cooking with fuelwood was found to be 27 MJ/day and the total energy demand 68 MJ/day. This is equivalent to 2 500 L/day/household of biogas for cooking and 6 250 L/day/household of biogas for complete substitution of conventional domestic fuels. Complete substitution of fuelwood used for cooking and household fuelwood use with biogas can result in the avoidance of 43% and 85.4% respectively of total disability adjusted life-years lost (702 790) and mortalities (22 365) from indoor smoke as a consequence of solid fuel use. Approximately 625 000 households in South Africa can potentially benefit from bio-digester fed with cattle and pig waste, on the basis of livestock numbers. It is infeasible to operate a domestic bio-digester fed solely with human waste, chicken waste and food waste because of insufficient feedstock. Non-sewered households with access to on- and off-site water supply generate sufficient greywater for feeding a domestic bio-digester for cooking purposes. This is, therefore, recommended over the use of drinking water.

Effects of Long-term Organic Amendments on Soil N2 O Emissions from Winter Wheat-maize Cropping Systems in the Guanzhong Plain

The primary aim of this study was to quantify the effects of long-term organic amendments on soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Using static chamber-gas chromatograph technique, we measured N2O fluxes from winter wheat-maize rotation system and related environmental factors in the Guanzhong Plain for one year (October 2014 to October 2015). Field experiments were based on the "Chinese National Loess Fertility and Fertilizer Effects Long-term Monitoring Experiment". Four treatments were control (CK, 0 kg·hm-2), NPK (NPK, 353 kg·hm-2), NPK combined with maize straw[NPKS, (353+40) kg·hm-2] and cattle waste[NPKM, (238+115) kg·hm-2]. During the experimental period, N2O fluxes from CK treatment were small[<2.9 g·(hm2·d)-1]; while emissions from fertilized treatments peaked after fertilization[up to 113.4 g·(hm2·d)-1 for NPKS] and irrigation[up to 495.0 g·(hm2·d)-1 for NPKM] during winter wheat and maize seasons, respectively. N2O flux was significantly correlated to soil water-filled pore space for all treatments (r>0.28,P<0.05). Annual N2O emissions were (0.1±0.0), (2.6±0.1), (3.4±0.7) and (2.9±0.3) kg·hm-2 for CK, NPK, NPKS and NPKM, respectively. The fertilized treatments released higher N2O emissions than CK treatment (P<0.05), indicating that fertilization stimulated N2O emissions. However, the differences in N2O emissions were not significant among the fertilized treatments (P=0.06), suggesting that organic amendments did not increase N2O emissions obviously. The direct emission factors were 0.72%, 0.83% and 0.80% for NPK, NPKS and NPKM, respectively, all of which were lower than the IPCC default of 1%. The yield-scaled N2O emission for NPKM was the lowest among the fertilized treatments.

&lt;b&gt;Co-digestion of crude glycerin associated with cattle manure in biogas production in the State of Paraná, Brazil

The addition of different concentrations of crude glycerin, associated with cattle manure, on the volumetric production of biogas is analyzed. Different concentrations of crude glycerin (2, 4 and 6% m m -1 ) were added as supplement in anaerobic co-digestion of dairy cattle waste, in laboratory batch biodigesters (3.5 L usable volume). The biodigesters were operated under mesophilic conditions (30oC), with 30-day hydraulic retention time (HRT). Total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were analyzed to determine the efficiency of the process in the removal of organic matter and its effect on biogas production. The addition of 4% glycerin provided a larger production of biogas, approximately 9.307 mL. The efficiency in COD removal decreased in treatments with glycerin, with highest reduction (68%) in the control treatment. There was a 90 and 118% increase respectively for Gli4 and Gli6% treatments. VS reductions Gly 0, Gly 2, Gly 4 and Gly 6% treatments were 18.17, 61.60, 24.36 and 44.83%, for the respective treatments.

POTENSI FESES TERNAK SAPI DALAM MENDUKUNG KEGIATAN PERTANIAN (Potential Cattle Feses in Support Agricultural Activity)

Enrekang has approximately 2000 dairy cows were spread across several districts. If the average of the dairy cows produce feces every day as much as 35 kg, so the number of dairy cattle in the district waste Enrekang sebanyhak 70 tons / day. This fact shows the potential for waste is unbelievably big. The waste kepertingan if used for other sectors, such as agriculture, it will also create a promising organic farming. However, if waste is not utilized or dumped into the river or surrounding neighborhood residents, then a few years later would meet dairy cattle waste streams and neighborhoods. The method used for the libah memanfaatakan that use animal feces as a medium for the cultivation of worms, to support activities of livestock cattle feces dimanfaatakan as biogas, then the waste from the biogas is used also as a medium for the cultivation of worms. The results of the activities acquired two flagship products, the first worm which farmed in parentheses obtained within two months of worms doubled the number of sires. Second, the benefits obtained by the former media cultivation of worms into compost. Stool processing technology that diverse is expected to improve the knowledge of farmers in processing the waste so it is not wasted. Processing of pliers berfareasi feces will increase public interest in managing rancher sector so as to create farming systems based Zero Waste. Key Words : Potensi, Peternakan Sapi, Zero Waste

Analisis Pendapatan Usaha Peternakan Ayam Buras Petelur dengan Menerapkan Teknologi Pakan Limbah Ternak Sapi (Studi Kasus di Kelompok Tani Ternak Sato Nadi, Kecamatan Tembuku, Kabupaten Bangli)

Analysis of Operating Revenues ofLaying Domestic Poultry by Applying the Waste Cattle Feed Technology (A Case Study in Farmers Group of Sato Nadi,Sub-District of Tembuku, Bangli Regency)Feed is the major determinant in the success of farming and as a means of support forthe improvement of productivity of poultry. During this time the availability oflivestock feed has been supplied from outside the island of Bali and is relativelyexpensive. This is an opportunity for farmers in the village of Jehem to be able tomeet their needs for cheaper poultry feed mainly for the domestic poultry madefromcattle waste. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of incomereceived by farmers and the constraints faced in domestic poultry farm. This researchwas conducted in the farmer groups of Sato Nadi, Sub-District of Tembuku, BangliRegency.The total sample was as many as 22 farmers involved in the business oflaying domestic poultry. The analytical method used was the method of quantitativeand qualitative descriptiveanalysis, analysis of farming, and the R / C ratio. Theresults showed that the income received by farmers in the domestic poultry farmergroup of Sato Nadi, Jehem Village, Sub-District of Tembuku, Bangli Regency wasRp 1,901,847.80 / 100 chickens in the group of conventional feed, and Rp 2,640,111, 78/100 chickensfor the group that applied Cattle waste feed, and R / C Ratioobtained respectively of 1.11 and 1.15. The twofarmer groupsof domestic poultryfarm are feasible to be developed and profitable. The constraint faced by the farmerswas factor of the increase in feed prices that are not accompanied by the rising ofproduction prices cause smaller profits for the farmers. Suggestions that can be givenin this research are the governmentshould reduce variable costs through the use offeed of cattle manure flour and good profits can be obtained if the farmers willing toproduce the feed by their own and do not buy the finished feed.

Factors associated with acquisition of enteric episodes in cattle waste handlers in Morogoro, Tanzania.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of prebiotics supplemented diets on performance characteristics and gut morphology of broiler chickens. The study involved 320 day-old Anak broiler chicks, used to assess the utilization of prebiotics [ Mannose oligosaccharides (MOS) and Lactose oligosaccharides (LOS)] by broiler chicks. The chicks were alloted to eight treatment groups of 40 birds each and four replicates of 10 birds each in a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement. The additives (MOS and LOS) were added to the diets at four levels (0, 250, 500 and 750ppm) per additive. The birds were fed for 56days, after which data on feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and ileal morphology were collected. The data was subjected to analysis of variance and significant means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. Results showed that final weight values significantly (p<0.05) ranged from 1276.67 g – 1503.38 g. The ileum morphology of the finishers broilers showed that villi height, lamina propria depth, basal width and apical width were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by prebiotic sources and levels. The villi height of 2250.00μm was highest at 500ppm MOS level of inclusion, while the least value of 538.30μm was obtained in birds fed 0ppm Lactose inclusion. It was therefore, concluded that, prebiotic MOS at 500ppm could be used in feed to obtain the better weight gain and FCR, with normal gut morphology of broiler chickens. Keywords : Performance, ileal morphology, broilers, mannan oligosaccharide, lactose oligosaccharide

Turning Human Waste into Renewable Energy: Opportunities and Policy Options for India

Abstract. With rise in population and the ongoing urbanisation drive, the urge to ensure energy security both for the rural and urban areas has emerged as a major challenge in India. The demand for energy has increased in all spheres of life, e.g., for cooking, cultivation, production purposes, transportation, and so on. Although through various government initiatives, adoption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking has increased, given the vast population, use of biofuels is expected to continue for poorer households. Generation of biogas from cattle waste in India has intensified through policies, but the same from human waste is still in a nascent stage. The present study explores the possibilities of recovering energy and nutrients from human wasteby discussing the present system of human waste collection, treatment and disposal in India, followed by the reasons behind the failures of the past initiatives (e.g., Ganga Action Plan, GAP). It further focuses on a few alternative systems and their technical feasibility. It is concluded that various ongoing policies, viz., National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ (SBM)- should be coordinated for integrating collection and treatment of human waste for generation of renewable energy. Keywords. Human waste management, Urban wastewater management, Renewable energy, Resource recovery, Biogas generation, Public health management, Government policy, Technology adoption, Energy policy, India. JEL. I18, Q40, Q48 .

Utilizing and management of cattle fattening waste in Samsun province of Turkey

Sigir besiciliginin butun asamalarinda meydana gelen atiklarin yonetilmesi ve degerlendirilmesi hem isletmeler hem de cevre ve insan sagligini koruma gorevi olan hukumet acisindan onem tasimaktadir. Bu sebeple bu arastirmada sigir besiciliginde gerek yetistirme donemi gerekse de kesim sonrasi donemde ortaya cikan hayvansal atiklarin ve yan urunlerinin miktarinin belirlenmesi, atiklarin yonetiminde mevcut durumun ortaya konulmasi, atiklarin degerlendirme sekillerinin belirlenmesi ve sigir besiciligi yapan kisilerin atik yonetimi konusundaki bilgi duzeylerinin ortaya konulmasi amaclanmistir. Arastirma verileri Samsun ilinde sigir besiciligi yapan 38 adet isletmeden anket yoluyla ve Samsun ilinde faaliyet gosteren Kirmizi Et Ureticileri Birligi ile 21 adet mezbahadan bireysel mulakatlar ve nitelikli gozlemler yoluyla elde edilmistir. Hayvansal atiklarin miktarinin ve degerlendirme bicimlerinin belirlenmesinde “surec degerlendirmesi (process evaluation)” yaklasimi kullanilmistir. Sigir besiciligi yapan kisilerin atik yonetimi konusundaki bilinc duzeylerinin ortaya konulmasinda, amaca uygun olarak gelistirilmis olcek kullanilmistir. Arastirma sonuclari Samsun ilinde buyukbas hayvanlarin kesim sonrasi yilda ortalama 240 bin ton hayvansal atik ve yan urun ortaya ciktigini ve bu atiklarin yonetiminde ve degerlendirilmesinde kurumsal bir sistemin olmadigini gostermistir. Arastirmada ayrica Samsun ili sigir besicilerinin atiklarin degerlendirmesinin kendilerine saglayacaklari katkilardan haberdar olmadiklarini ve atik yonetimi konusunda bilinc duzeylerinin istenen duzeyde olmadigi tespit edilmistir. Incelenen Uretici Birlikleri karkas kismi alindiktan sonra geriye kalan atiklarin degerlendirmesi icin yatirim yapmaya oldukca isteklidirler. Hayvansal atiklarin yonetilmesi ve degerlendirilmesi konularinda ureticilere egitim verilmesi, uretici orgutlerine atik degerlendirme tesisi kurmak ve isletmek icin ihtiyac duyduklari finansman ve teknik desteginin saglanmasi ve hayvansal atik yonetiminin etkinlestirilmesi icin gerekli alt yapi ve mevzuat duzenlemelerinin yapilmasi isletme duzeyinde ve ulusal duzeyde elde edilecek ekonomik katkilari artirabilecek ve cevresel surdurulebilirlige olumlu katkilar saglayabilecektir.

Estimation of potential methane production through the mass balance equations from agricultural biomass in Korea

Biomass is a renewable energy resource derived from all organic materials produced by both human and natural activities. Total biomass is amounted to be 58,010 Gg yr−1 from agricultural sector during 2013 in Korea: livestock manure, crop residues, and agro-industrial wastes. Potential methane production from agricultural biomass was calculated based on IPCC guidelines using manipulated equations. The main parameters were emission factor, total waste amount, and physico-chemical properties of each waste to estimate methane production. Calculated total potential methane production from the different categories for livestock, crop residues, and agro-industrial wastes was 502 Gg yr−1 in Korea. Poultry waste generated the highest methane potential with 227 Gg yr−1 followed by 80 Gg yr−1 from cattle waste. For crop residues and agro-industrial wastes, estimated methane production was 1 and 126 Gg yr−1, respectively. Results of this study show that livestock manure gave the highest methane emission in the agricultural sector. With this, more effective management of livestock wastes is necessary to develop and maximize technology on harnessing methane as alternative energy.

Energy Conservation Via Greywater Reuse for Power Plant Cooling and Wastes Minimization

Sustainable engineering brings about multidisciplinary solutions to environmental, sociocultural, and economic needs. Sustainable methods and technologies ensure the effectiveness of products, designs, and infrastructure, and minimize waste. Managing waste is critical in the successful practice of sustainable engineering. Success in the implementation of a waste management program must consider a very important strategy, namely, waste reduction which is highly dependent on social stewardship, education, and waste conversion. A sustainable program mix must include public policy, health management, and engineering. This paper presents a number of proven sources and techniques for wastes minimization and conversion and a discussion about the development of effective decision-making tools to implement the most feasible and cost-effective applications. Specifically, the conversion of waste as a resource is presented including the use of wastewater (greywater) for condenser cooling in a power plant; conversion of restaurant grease into biodiesel; the use of phosphate mine tailings as a road surface material; recycling and reuse of glass, metal, and plastics; reuse of rare metals from discarded computers; and the use of cattle waste as building materials. In all of these, the conservation of energy is realized practically. More emphasis has been focused on the use of greywater because it has direct impact on the energy–water nexus.

Persistence of bacterial indicators and zoonotic pathogens in contaminated cattle wastes.

BackgroundManure can provide a favourable environment for pathogens’ survival. De-contamination may be conducted by extended storage, until field conditions are suitable for application to land as source of agricultural nutrients.ResultsThe hygienic evaluation of manure and slurry coming from a plant that collects cattle livestock wastes from a big slaughterhouse was carried out. Samples were even collected from spillages in the area around the plant. Microbial analyses highlighted the massive presence of faecal indicators in all samples: mean counts of Escherichia coli and enterococci were always above EU limits for marketable processed manure products.Cultures referable to the genus Brucella spp. were recorded in two samples of fresh manure but not in the aged ones. Conventional isolation techniques failed to detect members of the Mycobacterium genus, while by means of IS900 and F57 PCR real-time system on DNA directly extracted from environmental samples, the pathogen was detected in all cases.ConclusionsThoughtful design of manure storage infrastructure is critical to prevent spills and over-topping of an open structure. The documented overload situation seems to lay the basis for an ongoing environmental contamination by enteric organisms and opportunistic pathogens circuit faecal-oral route. Moreover, the type of wastes analysed during this study, namely a mixture of fresh cattle manure, bedding and rumen content, needs a longer storage period or, alternatively, of specific chemical, biological or thermal treatments for stabilization.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-016-0705-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Biotic and abiotic controls on nitrogen leaching losses into waterways during successive bovine urine application to soil

Cattle waste products high in nitrogen (N) that enter waterways via rainfall runoff can contribute to aquatic ecosystem health deterioration. It is well established that N leaching from this source can be reduced by plant assimilation, e.g. pasture grass. Additionally, N leaching can be reduced when there is sufficient carbon (C) in the soil such as plant litterfall to stimulate microbial processes, i.e. denitrification, which off-gas N from the soil profile. However, the relative importance of these two processes is not well understood. A soil microcosm experiment was conducted to determine the role of biotic processes, pasture grass and microbial activity, and abiotic processes such as soil sorption, in reducing N leaching loss, during successive additions of bovine urine. Pasture grass was the most effective soil cover in reducing N leaching losses, which leached 70% less N compared to exposed soil. Successive application of urine to the soil resulted in N accumulation, after which there was a breaking point indicated by high N leaching losses. This is likely to be due to the low C:N ratio within the soil profiles treated with urine (molar ratio 8:1) compared to water treated soils (30:1). In this experiment we examined the role of C addition in reducing N losses and showed that the addition of glucose can temporarily reduce N leaching. Overall, our results demonstrated that plant uptake of N was a more important process in preventing N leaching than microbial processes.

Short-term dynamics of carbon and nitrogen using compost, compost-biochar mixture and organo-mineral biochar.

This study aims to examine the effects of different organic treatments including compost (generated from cattle hide waste and plant material), compost mixed with biochar (compost + biochar) and a new formulation of organo-mineral biochar (produced by mixing biochar with clay, minerals and chicken manure) on carbon (C) nitrogen (N) cycling. We used compost at the rate of 20tha(-1), compost 20tha(-1) mixed with 10tha(-1) biochar (compost + biochar) and organo-mineral biochar which also contained 10tha(-1) biochar. Control samples received neither of the treatments. Compost and compost + biochar increased NH4 (+) -N concentrations for a short time, mainly due to the release of their NH4 (+) -N content. Compost + biochar did not alter N cycling of the compost significantly but did significantly increase CO2 emission compared to control. Compost significantly increased N2O emission compared to control. Compost + biochar did not significantly change N supply and also did not decrease CO2 and N2O emissions compared to compost, suggesting probably higher rates of biochar may be required to be added to the compost to significantly affect compost-induced C and N alteration. The organo-mineral biochar had no effect on N cycling and did not stimulate CO2 and N2O emission compared to the control. However, organo-mineral biochar maintained significantly higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) than compost and compost + biochar from after day 14 to the end of the incubation. Biochar used in organo-mineral biochar had increased organic C adsorption which may become available eventually. However, increased DOC in organo-mineral biochar probably originated from both biochar and chicken manure which was not differentiated in this experiment. Hence, in our experiment, compost, compost + biochar and organo-mineral biochar affected C and N cycling differently mainly due to their different content.