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Increased environmental awareness has prompted the need for improved feedlot runoff control. Vegetative treatment systems (VTSs) provide a cost-effective option that may enhance environmental security by protecting water quality. Vegetative treatment systems are typically designed on the basis of hydraulic performance, which may result in excess application of some nutrients, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus. Groundwater quality monitoring is required to determine the effect, if any, that VTSs have on groundwater. Shallow groundwater (2 to 10 m) quality beneath six VTSs in Iowa was monitored over a four-year period. Monitoring wells were located upgradient, within, and downgradient of the VTSs. Groundwater samples were collected on a monthly basis and analyzed for ammoniacal nitrogen, chloride, nitratenitrogen, and fecal coliforms. A trend analysis was conducted to evaluate groundwater response patterns to VTS construction and use. In general, monitoring wells located within and downgradient of the VTS showed increasing trends in chloride and decreasing trends in nitrate concentrations. No trends for fecal coliforms or ammoniacal nitrogen were seen. Statistical analysis was performed to test for concentration differences between upgradient, within, and downgradient monitoring wells. In general, no differences in ammoniacal nitrogen concentration were seen. Fecal coliform concentrations were generally highest at the monitoring well within the VTS, but no difference was found between upgradient and downgradient concentrations. Chloride concentrations were generally significantly higher within and downgradient of the VTS when compared to the upgradient well; nitrate concentrations were generally significantly lower within and downgradient of the VTA than upgradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef feedlots of all sizes are looking for cost-effective solutions to manage feedlot runoff. Vegetative treatment systems (VTSs) are a potential option. VTSs consist of a solids settling structure followed by additional treatment components, such as vegetative infiltration basins (VIBs) and/or vegetative treatment areas (VTAs) that use soil and vegetation to treat nutrients in the applied runoff Investigations have shown that VTSs can provide a cost-effective means of controlling feedlot runoff" however, their sustainability and life expectancy have not yet been determined. Thus, the objective of this work is to evaluate, based on the VTA's ability to sorb and utilize phosphorus, the expected phosphorus sink life of VTSs on beef feedlots in Iowa. In doing so, we evaluated three things: (1) phosphorus removal with vegetation harvest, (2) the extent of vertical redistribution of phosphorus in the soil profile, and (3) if a mass balance approach was capable of predicting changes in soil test phosphorus. Vegetation harvest removed 6% to 16% of the applied phosphorus, and a P mass balance did an adequate job of predicting the significant increases in soil P test concentrations. Deep soil cores (1.2 m) showed that phosphorus accumulation tended to be limited to the top 0.3 m but that vertical migration was increasing. Based on this success, we proposed a P mass balance and soil sorption model to project VTA life expectancy and evaluated the sensitivity of the estimated life to different design and management alternatives. The sensitivity analysis showed that phosphorus sorption capacity and loading rate were important, but the critical depth of the soil that can be saturated has the largest impact on VTA life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia (NH3) emissions from laying hens are affected by nutrient content of the diet, manure quantity, and manure properties such as moisture content, nitrogen content, and pH. These production traits may vary with strain of the hen. However, limited information is available concerning the effects of laying-hen genetics on manure properties and NH3 emission. This study was conducted to comparatively quantify production performance, manure properties, and NH3 emissions (through N mass balance) of four white-egg-laying strains (Hy-Line W-36, Hy-Line W-98, Lohmann LSL Lite, and Bovans White) and four brown-egg-laying strains (Hy-Line Brown, Lohmann Brown, ISA Brown, and Bovans Brown) during two production periods of 27-28 weeks (PI) and 35-36 weeks (P2) of age. The diets were formulated to meet the nutritional needs of the brown and white hens. As a result, crude protein contents during PI and P2 were, respectively, 13.2% and 15.2% for the brown hens but 14.5% and 17.4% for the white hens. The results showed that the brown and white hens had similar hen-day egg production (97.5% to 89.2% for brown hens and 96.0% to 88.2% for white hens) and egg mass output (57.1 to 52.6 g d-1 hen-1 for brown hens and 55.6 to 51.2 g d-1 hen-1 for white hens) but different feed consumption (112 to 98 g d-1 hen-1 for brown hens and 101 to 93 g d-1 hen-1 for white hens, p < 0.01) and feed efficiency (1.97 to 1.87 g feed g-1 egg for brown hens and 1.82 g feed g-1 egg for white hens, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.11). The higher feed consumption for the brown hens stemmed from their heavier body mass (1.81 to 1.78 kg vs. 1.56 to 1.53 kg for white hens). Manure moisture content was higher for the brown hens than for the white hens, although the dry-matter manure production was not significantly different. The results further revealed that under the experimental conditions (i.e., higher CP contents of the diet for the white hens than for the brown hens) the white hens had higher NH3 emissions than the brown hens as expressed per hen (37% to 19% higher, p = <0.001 to 0.016), per animal unit (AU, 500 kg live body mass; 59% to 39% higher, p = 0.0007 to 0.007), per unit of egg mass output (41% to 24% higher, p = 0.01 to 0.09), per unit of feed N consumed (39% to 27% higher, p = 0.01 to <0.0001), and per unit of dry manure (56% to 39% higher, p = 0.001 to 0.007). Certain differences existed in production performance among strains within the brown or white hens, but no differences in NH3 emissions were detected. Because of the relatively small sample size (number of hens involved) and the relatively short monitoring period, the results should be referenced with these limitations in mind. Further larger-scale studies with longer monitoring periods to verify these findings are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef feedlot runoff is a potential environmental contaminant. As such, it should be managed properly to preserve water quality. Primary treatment of feedlot runoff often relies on sedimentation techniques; thus, accurate knowledge of feedlot runoff physical properties is required. This study characterized the physical and chemical properties of runoff effluent from earthen and concrete beef feedlots in Iowa with the objective\of providing the necessary information to improve solid settling basin design and performance. Results, although not statistically significant (p = 0.11), indicated that solids in runoff from concrete lots tended to settle more slowly than solids from earthen lots. Particle size distribution and particle density measurements indicated that the poorer settle ability of concrete lot runoff was primarily caused by lower particle densities: 1.47 ±0.17 g cm-3 (average ± SD) for concrete lots as compared to 1.89 ±0.11 g cm-3 for earthen lots. Runoff composition was analyzed before and after settling to relate nutrient reduction to solids removal. Results indicated an average of 41 g total Kjeldahl nitrogen per kg total solids and 16 g total phosphorus per kg total solids were removed during settling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food industry by-products such as spent brewer's yeast and whey from cheese production are being amended with nutrients and used as a feed source in the Croatian swine sector However, as interest in energy production and anaerobic digestion of animal manures has increased, co-digestion of these materials with manure could improve the economic viability of on-farm digesters. To determine the feasibility of this approach, consideration should be given to whether food industry by-products provide a better economic return as a low-cost animal feed or as an anaerobic digester feedstock. In addition, while slaughterhouse wastes are not used as an animal feed, this article also considers the use of this material as a co-digestion feedstock. The economic information and substrate selection presented in this article are based on by-products available to a swine farm in Croatia and production data from the facility while feeding with by-products. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays were used as a fast, inexpensive method to determine the potential methane production rates for the various substrates. Using BMPs, the potential methane production rates for various combinations of spent brewer's yeast, whey, slaughterhouse waste, corn silage, and swine manure were also determined. Results of the BMP assays were used to compare the potential economic return of using the food wastes to produce methane in the digester to the value of these materials as feed ingredients for swine production. Based on live production data, liquid feeding of food industry by-products was calculated to provide a $6.89 savings per finish pig produced over a 90-day period at the Croatian facility. Since the facility produces 14,000 finish pigs every 90 days, this represents a cost savings of $96,000 per turn, or over $307,000 per year considering that the facility finishes 3.2 turns of pigs per year Using cheese whey or spent brewer's yeast as a co-substrate in the proposed swine manure digester has the potential to provide an additional income via electricity generation of $26,000 and $34,000 over a 90-day period, or $83,000 and $109,000 annually, respectively. These values were based on the value of the substrate, assuming that either a digester or liquid feeding system already existed. Based on the data, the economic return is better when the by-products are used as a feed ingredient. However, if the swine digester is amended with all available co-substrates, including whey, spent brewer's yeast, slaughterhouse waste, and corn silage, the potential additional income is $168,000 per 90-day turn or $538,000 per year. The data presented in this article include substrate characteristics, potential methane production normalized on the basis of mass of substrate volatile solids, estimated electricity generation potential, and economic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the biochemical methane potential (BMP) production from anaerobic digestion of corn-ethanol coproducts including dried distiller grain with solubles (DDGS), distiller's wet grains (DWG), thin stillage, and condensed distiller's solubles (CDS) as well as evaluating the effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on methane production from these feedstocks. Ultrasonic pretreatment was applied with three amplitude settings of 33% (52.8 μmpp), 66% (105.6 μmpp), and 100% (160 μmpp) as well as five time settings (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 s) to each of the four coproducts prior to conducting benchtop BMP trials. Ultrasonic pretreatment reduced mean particle size of DDGS and DWG by 45% and 43%, respectively. Without ultrasound pretreatment, CDS had the highest methane production potential (407 mL g-1 VS added) compared to the other coproducts. Ultrasonic pretreatment of DWG co-products (DDGS and DWG) resulted in greater increases in methane production than on liquid coproducts (CDS and thin stillage). Methane yields were increased by 25% and 12% for the ultrasound pretreated DDGS and DWG, respectively, compared with untreated samples. An energy balance for the DWG, thin stillage, and CDS coproducts indicated that ultrasonic pretreatment required more energy than was generated by the process in terms of additional biogas production. However, an energy balance for ultrasonic pretreatment of DDGS provided 70% more energy than was required to operate the ultrasonic unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the effect of ultrasonication as a pretreatment to anaerobic digestion of four types of animal manure, including swine slurry, beef feedlot manure, dairy manure slurry, and separated dairy manure effluent. The effect of ultrasonication on soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and biochemical methane potential (BMP) were determined, and the energy efficiency of ultrasonic pretreatment was evaluated. Ultrasonic pretreatment was applied at two amplitudes (80 and 160 µmpp) and at two time settings (15 and 30 s) to each of the four manure types. The SCOD of each manure sample was determined before and after ultrasonic pretreatment. In addition, BMP trials were run on each waste with and without ultrasonic pretreatment. As part of the BMP, biogas production was measured and analyzed for methane content and cumulative methane production. Ultrasonic pretreatment of swine slurry, beef feedlot manure, dairy manure slurry, and separated dairy manure effluent increased the average SCOD up to 23%, 92%, 59%, and 33%, respectively, and the average methane yield up to 56%, 43%, 62%, and 20%, respectively. Increasing the ultrasonic amplitude and treatment time resulted in an increase in manure SCOD and methane production; the greatest methane production was obtained using the ultrasonic pretreatment at the highest power and longest treatment time. The observed greatest methane production from swine slurry, beef feedlot manure, dairy manure slurry and separated dairy manure effluent were 394, 230, 226, and 340 mL CH4 g-1 VS, respectively. In contrast, the greatest energy efficiency was obtained with the lowest ultrasonic amplitude combined with the shortest treatment time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative treatment systems to control runoff from open beef feedlots may enhance environmental security and protect water quality. Several Midwestern states have issued National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits allowing beef feedlots to use vegetative treatment systems (VTSs) to control and treat feedlot runoff. Monitoring VTSs has provided data to validate performance modeling strategies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of the Soil-Plant-Air-Water (SPAW) model to predict the hydraulic performance of vegetative treatment areas (VTAs). Two approaches, one using the field module and the other the pond module of the SPAW model were investigated. The model results from the SPA W field and pond modules were compared to monitored performance data from five VTAs in Iowa. Modeling statistics were calculated to evaluate SPAW's ability to predict VTA hydraulic performance. Based on the 18 site-years of data collected, the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), percent bias (BIAS), and ratio of the root mean square error to the standard deviation (RSR) were 0.95, 8%, and 0.22, respectively, on an annual basis. The NSE, BIAS, and RSR for the field module were 0.32, 32%, and 0.83, respectively. The results showed that the SPAW model could be used successfully to predict the hydraulic performance of VTAs, with the pond module being more successful than the field module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares results from the Iowa State University Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ISU-ELG) model to results obtained using the Soil-Plant-Air-Water (SPAW) model to simulate feedlot runoff containment basin overflow volume. The objective was to verify that the ISU-ELG model was providing a reasonable prediction of basin overflow. The ISU-ELG model uses a set of guidelines to determine if land application is acceptable, whereas the SPAW model uses a soil moisture criterion. The criterion for determining if a particular day was suitable for land application of basin effluent was investigated to determine the effect on basin overflow volumes. The results show that the ISU-ELG model overpredicted the percentage of feedlot runoff controlled in comparison to the SPAW model at all five locations investigated. For wetter areas in Iowa, the number of drying days had a large effect on basin overflow volumes, whereas for the drier northwest region of Iowa, this effect was limited. Possible methods of improving the ISU-ELG model predictions include adding a soil moisture accounting function to model moisture levels in the land application area or calibrating the number of drying days required before land application can commence. Alternatively, the SPAW model can be used, but this requires additional user inputs and increases complexity in modeling the runoff control system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory experiments were conducted using magnesium chloride (MgCl2⋅6H2O, 64% solution) to force the precipitation of phosphorus and reduce the concentration of soluble phosphorus (PO43-) in two swine wastes. One of the swine wastes tested contained a high concentration of PO43- (initially ∼ 1,000 mg/L), and the other swine waste tested contained a low concentration of PO43- (initially ∼ 230 mg/L). The precipitation reactions were performed to determine the required reaction time, pH, magnesium addition rate and seed material for future precipitate recovery work. For the high and low concentration waste, a 10-minute reaction time at a pH of 8.6 was sufficient to remove 98 and 96% of the PO43- from solution. A molar ratio of Mg2+:PO43- of 1.6:1 was determined to be effective for PO43- removal from both the low and high strength wastes. At a molar ratio of 1.6:1, the PO3- in the high concentration waste was reduced from 590 to 12 mg/L. In the low concentration waste, the PO43- concentration was reduced from 157 to 15 mg/L. Seeding the reaction did not significantly enhance the recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]