Roman Kołacz

Application of aluminosilicates for mitigation of ammonia and volatile organic compound emissions from poultry manure

Abstract Odor mitigation techniques are widely investigated due to the problem of odor nuisance generated by intensive livestock production. The goal of this research was to investigate the use of aluminosilicate sorbents as filter packs in the air scrubber ODOR1, which enables cleaning of air inside the livestock building. The following sorbents were examined: raw halloysite, roasted halloysite, activated halloysite, raw bentonite, roasted bentonite and expanded vermiculite. The experiment was conducted in chambers where poultry manure was placed, the time of air treatment was 24 hours. A manual SPME (solid-phase microextraction) holder with DVB/Carboxen/PDMS fiber was used for extraction of odor compounds, and analyses were carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Ammonia concentrations were determined according to Polish standards (Nessler method) using a spectrophotometer. It was found that all examined aluminosilicates had the potential for removal of ammonia as well as 24 volatile compounds emitted from poultry manure. The highest efficiency was noted for activated halloysite (81%) and roasted bentonite (84%) in the case of ammonia and odors, respectively. Despite the limitations of the study, the results showed the effectiveness of the air scrubber packed with aluminosilicates for the reduction of volatile odorous compounds in the air of livestock buildings. Graphical Abstract

Expression of metallothionein in the liver and kidneys of the red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) from an industrial metal smelting area of Poland

The metallothionein 1 (MT1) coding sequence of red deer was identified and compared to orthologous sequences from other mammals. Over 90% identity was observed between red deer MT1 amino acid sequence and MT1 sequences of other ruminants. Liver and kidney samples of red deer were collected from the industrial zinc smelting site of Miasteczko Slaskie and from the Masuria Lake District serving as a pollution-free control site. The concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were analyzed by the atomic absorption spectrometry technique (AAS). The levels of Cd in the liver of red deer from the metal smelting region was about 8 times higher than for the reference control site. Next, the expression of MT1 mRNA in the liver of red deer was quantified by the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and the expression of MT1/2 protein in the liver and kidneys was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Positive correlations were found between expression levels for MT1 mRNA and the concentrations of Cu and Zn in liver of red deer, and with the age of animals. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated the nuclear and cytoplasmatic expression in both liver and kidney tissues, but with no obvious relationship shown for the expression of MT1/2 protein and tissue metal levels. Our results showed that the analysis of MT expression levels in the red deer could not be used independently as a biomarker for identifying exposure to Cd, but could be co-analyzed with tissue metal levels to give better prognosis for environmental exposure to metals.

Cytotoxicity of Odorous Compounds from Poultry Manure

Long-term exposure and inhalation of odorous compounds from poultry manure can be harmful to farm workers and the surrounding residents as well as animals. The aim of the present study was to determine the cytotoxicity and IC50 values of common odorous compounds such as ammonium, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, butyric acid, phenol, and indole in the chick liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line LMH (Leghorn Male Hepatoma), in vitro, using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and PrestoBlue cytotoxicity assays. The cells were microscopically examined for any morphological changes post treatment. Dimethylamine exhibited the strongest cytotoxic effect on LMH cells with an IC50 value of 0.06% and 0.04% after an exposure of 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Both ammonium and trimethylamine had comparable cytotoxicity and their IC50 values were 0.08% and 0.04% after 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Of note, indole had the lowest cytotoxicity as the majority of cells were viable even after 72 h exposure. Thus, the IC50 for indole was not calculated. Results achieved from both MTT and PrestoBlue assays were comparable. Moreover, the morphological changes induced by the tested odours in LMH cells resulted in monolayer destruction, cytoplasm vacuolisation, chromatin condensation, and changes in nucleus and cell shape. Our study showed harmful effects of odorous compounds in chick tissues.

Impact of a microbial-mineral biopreparation on microbial community and deodorization of manures

The aim of this study was to determine the number of bacteria in poultry, cattle and swine manure in order to perform hygienization and deodorization using a microbial-mineral biopreparation. The highest number of bacteria was recorded in laying hens manure (5.1×10(10) cfu/g). It was noted that bacteria: coliforms, E. coli, Clostridium, Enterococcus number was reduced (1-2 log) after the biopreparation application. The investigated odorous compound concentrations were reduced with 34-78% efficiency, depending on the type of manure and odorant. All odorous compounds were efficiently reduced only in the case of laying hen manure.

Ksenobiotyki, substancje toksyczne, mutagenne i kancerogenne : klasyfikacja i aspekty prawne

Publikacja wspolfinansowana ze środkow Krajowego Narodowego Ośrodka Wiodącego (KNOW) na lata 2014-2018 dla Wydzialu Biologii i Hodowli Zwierząt UP we Wroclawiu w ramach Wroclawskiego Centrum Biotechnologii.

Odour reducing microbial-mineral additive for poultry manure treatment

AbstractPoultry production systems are associated with emissions of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), greenhouse gases, and particulate matter. Development of mitigation technologies for these emissions is important. Previous laboratory-scale research on microbial-mineral treatment has shown to be effective for mitigation of NH3, H2S and amines emissions from poultry manure. The aim of this research was to assess the effectiveness of surface application of a microbial-mineral treatment for other important odorants, i.e., phenolics and sulfur-containing VOCs. Microbial-mineral litter additive consisting of 20% (w/w) of bacteria powder (six strains of heterotrophic bacteria) and 80% of mineral carrier (perlite-bentonite) was used at a dose of 500 g∙m-2 (per ~31 kg of manure). Samples of air were collected in two series, 4 and 7 days after application of additives. An odor profile of the poultry manure was determined using simultaneous chemical and sensory analysis. Reduction levels of VOCs determined on Day 4 was between 31% and 83% for mineral adsorbent treatment and in the range of 9% and 96% for microbial-mineral additive, depending on the analyzed compound. Reduction levels on Day 7 were considerably lower than on Day 4, suggesting that the odorous VOCs treatment efficacy is relatively short. There was no significant difference between treatments consisting of microbial-mineral additive and mineral carrier alone.