Saidul Borhan

Greenhouse gas emissions from beef cattle pen surfaces in North Dakota

There is a global interest to quantify and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) (e.g. methane-CH4, nitrous oxide-N2O and carbon dioxide-CO2) emissions in animal feeding operations. The goal of this study was to quantify GHG emissions from the feedlot pen surface under North Dakota climatic conditions. In this study gaseous flux from the pen surfaces was generated using a custom-made wind tunnel at different times of the year (summer, fall, winter and spring). Gaseous fluxes (air samples) were drawn in the Tedlar bags using a vacuum chamber and gas concentrations were measured using a gas chromatograph within 24 h of sampling. The CH4 concentrations and flux rates (FRs) or flux among the months were not significantly different. Overall CH4, CO2 and N2O concentrations over a 7-month period were 2.66, 452 and 0.67 ppm, respectively. Estimated overall CH4, CO and N2O FRs were 1.32, 602 and 0.90 g m−2 d−1, respectively. Estimated emission rates using the wind tunnel were 38 g hd−1 d−1, 17 kg hd−1 d−1 and 26 g hd−1 d−1 for CH4, CO2 and N2O, respectively. The emission factors for GHG estimated in the research for North Dakota climate were the first of its kind, and these emission estimates can be used as a basis for planning and implementing management practices to minimize GHG emissions.

Characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticle (nZnO) alginate beads in reducing gaseous emission from swine manure

ABSTRACT Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and greenhouse gases’ emission from livestock production facilities are of concern to human welfare and the environment. Application of nanoparticles (NPs) has emerged as a potential option for minimizing these gaseous emissions. Application of bare NPs, however, could have an adverse effect on plants, soil, human health, and the environment. To minimize NPs’ exposure to the environment by recovering them, NPs were entrapped in polymeric beads for treating livestock manure. The objectives of the research were to understand the mechanism of gaseous reduction in swine manure treated for 33 days with zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZnO) or nZnO-entrapped alginate (alginate-nZnO) beads by different characterization techniques. Headspace gases from treated manure flasks were collected in 2–6-day intervals during the experimental period and were analyzed for methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and H2S concentrations. The microbial analysis of manure was carried out using bacterial plate counts and Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction methods. Morphology and chemical composition of alginate-nZnO beads were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Alginate-nZnO beads or bare nZnO proved to be an effective NP in reducing H2S (up to 99%), CH4 (49–72%), and CO2 (46–62%) from manure stored under anaerobic conditions and these reductions are likely due to the microbial inhibitory effect from nZnO, as well as chemical conversion. Both SEM-EDS and XPS analysis confirmed the presence of zinc sulfide (ZnS) in the beads, which is likely formed by reacting nZnO with H2S.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Housing and Manure Management Systems at Confined Livestock Operations

© 2012 Borhan et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Housing and Manure Management Systems at Confined Livestock Operations

Performance Evaluation of Three Vegetative Filter Strip Designs for Controlling Feedlot Runoff Pollution

A vegetative filter strip (VFS) is designed to reduce transport of sediments and nutrients downstream mainly through settling, infiltration (into soil profile), adsorption (to soil and plant materials), and by plant uptake. However, the performance of a VFS greatly depends on a VFS design and climatic conditions of a region. In this paper, relative performance of three VFSs (hereafter Cass County-CC, Sargent County-SC, and Richland County-RC buffers) was evaluated and compared in the context of VFS design for feedlot runoff pollution control and management under agro-climatic condition of North Dakota. Buffer at CC feedlot was established with broadleaf or common cattail (Typha latifolia) grass filter, SC feedlot buffer had Garrison creeping foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus Poir.) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinaceus), and RC feedlot buffer had mixed grasses. Automatic samplers were installed to collect runoff samples at each inflow and outflow locations. Collected runoff samples were analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS), ortho-phosphorus (ortho-P), total phosphorus (TP), ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total nitrogen (TN), and potassium (K). Cass County (CC) VFS with cattails grass filter had the longest runoff-flow length (65 m) and resulted in better conducive environment for restricted TSS and TP transports reduction and better adsorption of ortho-P, NH4-N, and K compared to SC and RC feedlot buffers. Overall TSS, ortho-P, TP, NH4-N, and K removal efficacies were 88%, 90%, 89%, 91% , and 90%, respectively, at CC VFS. At SC feedlot VFS resulted in the highest NO3-N reduction. Relatively poor performance was observed for the RC feedlot which was due to smaller runoff-flow length (12 m). Overall, CC feedlot outperformed the SC and RC VFSs in respect of TSS, ortho-P, TP, NH4-N, TKN/TN transport reductions.

An Investigation of Ammonia Extraction from Liquid Manure Using a Gas-Permeable Membrane

Abstract: Pollution of air, soil and water caused by excessive ammonia (NH3) emission and deposition from animal manure is as an environmental concern. Gas-permeable membranes (GPM) may provide a solution for controlling NH3 emission to the environment by extracting it from liquid manure and potentially using the recovered NH3 as fertilizer. For this purpose, four lab-scale experiments were conducted to investigate the capture and recovery of NH3 from liquid manure by circulating an acid solution through a tubular GPM submerged into the liquid dairy manure. During these experiments, the depth of liquid manure in chambers of different dimensions and the tubular membrane parameters including diameter, length and pore size were held constant in order to study the effect of acid-filled membrane on NH3 extraction from different surface areas (1X, 2X, 4X, and 8X) of liquid manure. Results show that nearly 50% of the liquid manure NH3 measured prior to the start of each experiment from all but 8X chamber was captured in less than 20 days by acid-filled membranes. Also, NH3 extraction by the GPM system from liquid manure and NH3 gain in acidic solution were linearly correlated. The study showed that the experiment with the 4X chamber resulted in optimum NH3 extraction using the GPM system.

Evaluation of microbial fuel cell (MFC) for bioelectricity generation and pollutants removal from sugar beet processing wastewater (SBPW)

Bioelectricity generation from biodegradable compounds using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offers an opportunity for simultaneous wastewater treatment. This study evaluated the synergy of electricity generation by the MFC while reducing pollutants from sugar beet processing wastewater (SBPW). A simple dual-chamber MFC was constructed with inexpensive materials without using catalysts. Raw SBPW was diluted to several concentrations (chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 505 to 5,750 mg L-1) and fed as batch-mode into the MFC without further modification. A power density of 14.9 mW m-2 as power output was observed at a COD concentration of 2,565 mg L-1. Coulombic efficiency varied from 6.21% to 0.73%, indicating diffusion of oxygen through the cation exchange membrane and other methanogenesis and fermentation processes occurring in the anode chamber. In this study, >97% of the COD and up to 100% of the total suspended solids removals were observed from MFC-treated SBPW. Scanning electron microscopy of anode indicated that a diverse community of microbial consortia was active for electricity generation and wastewater treatment. This study demonstrated that SBPW can be used as a substrate in the MFC to generate electricity as well as to treat for pollutant removal.

Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ground Level Area Sources in Dairy and Cattle Feedyard Operations

A protocol that consisted of an isolation flux chamber and a portable gas chromatograph was used to directly quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at a dairy and a feedyard operation in the Texas Panhandle. Field sampling campaigns were performed 5 days in a week during daylight hours from 9:00 to 7:00 pm each day. The objective of this research was to quantify and compare GHG emission rates (ERs) from ground level area sources (GLAS) at dairy and cattle feedyard operations during the summer. A total of 74 air samples using flux chamber were collected from the barn (manure lane and bedding area), loafing pen, open lot, settling basin, lagoons, and compost pile within the dairy operation. For the cattle feedyard, a total of 87 air samples were collected from four corner pens of a large feedlot, runoff holding pond, and compost pile. Three primary GHGs (methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide) were measured and quantified from both operations. The aggregate estimated ERs for CH4, CO2, and N2O were 836, 5,573, 3.4 g hd-1d-1 (collectively 27.5 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) hd-1 d-1), respectively, at the dairy operation. The aggregate ERs for CH4, CO2, and N2O were 3.8, 1,399, 0.68 g hd-1d-1 (1.7 kg CO2e hd-1 d-1), respectively, from the feedyard. Aggregate CH4, CO2, and N2O ERs at the dairy facility were about 219, 4 and 5 times higher, respectively, than those at the feedyard.

Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds from Ground Level Area Sources in a Dairy Operation using Isolation Flux Chamber

Phenol and p-cresol were the most abundant and persistent odor-causing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found downwind from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), while more than 200 VOCs contribute to odor. The VOC emissions from cattle and dairy production are difficult to quantify accurately because of their low concentrations, spatial variability, and the lack of appropriate instruments. To quantify two odorous VOCs, a new protocol similar to EPA method TO-14A, has been established based on the isolation flux chamber method and the use of portable gas chromatographs coupled with a purge and trap system. The objective of this research was to quantify and report phenol and p-cresol emission factors (EFs) from different ground level area sources (GLASs) in a free-stall dairy using the new protocol. Two week-long samplings were conducted in a dairy operation in Central Texas during winter and summer. Twenty nine and 37 samples were collected from six-specifically delineated GLAS (barn, loafing pen, lagoon, settling basin, silage pile, and walkway) in a free-stall dairy during the winter and summer. Thirteen VOCs were identified from a dairy operation during the sampling period, and the gas chromatograph (GC) was calibrated for phenol and p-cresol, the primary compounds found. The overall calculated EFs for phenol and p-cresol were 0.97±0.27 and 0.28±0.08 kg hd-1 yr-1, respectively, in winter. Overall calculated phenol and p-cresol EFs were 0.43±0.13 and 0.2±0.08 kg hd-1 yr-1, respectively, during summer. Overall phenol and p-cresol EFs in the winter were about 2.3 and 1.4 times, respectively, higher than those during the summer.

Direct Measurements of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ground Level Area Sources in a Dairy Operation

A new protocol similar to EPA method TO-14A was used to quantify and report variations in greenhouse (GHG) emissions from different ground level area sources (GLAS) in a free-stall dairy in central Texas during summer and winter. A week-long sampling was performed during each season. Seventy five and 66 chromatograms of air samples were acquired from six delineated GLAS (loafing pen, walkway, barn, silage pile, settling basin and lagoon) of the same dairy during summer and winter, respectively. Three primary GHGs were identified from the dairy operation during sampling period and the gas chromatograph (GC) was calibrated for methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide N2O. Estimated overall emission factors (EFs) for CH4, CO2 and N2O during summer for this dairy were, 100, 2192, 2.9 kg hd-1 yr-1, respectively. In winter, estimated overall EFs for CH4, CO2 and N2O for this dairy were, 19, 2726, 1.3 kg hd-1 yr-1, respectively. Overall CH4 and N2O EFs in summer were about 5.2 and 2.2 times higher than those in winter for this free-stall dairy. This seasonal variation was due to ambient temperature, dairy waste loading rates, and manure microbial activity of GLAS.

Measurements of Volatile Organic Compound and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ground Level Area Sources in a Beef Feedyard using Isolation Flux Chamber

A new protocol similar to EPA method TO-14A was used to quantify and report variations in odorous volatile organic compound (VOC) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from different ground level area sources (GLAS) namely feedlot, compost piles and lagoon in a beef feedyard in Texas Panhandle. The objective of this study was to measure gas concentrations and estimate emission factors (EFs) of phenol, p-cresol, methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2) from this beef feedyard operation. A week-long sampling was conducted and a total of 46 VOCs and 83 GHGs were sampled simultaneously from different GLAS. Thirteen VOCs were identified during sampling period and the gas chromatograph (GC) was calibrated for phenol and p-cresol, the primary compounds found. The GHG GC was calibrated for CH4, CO2, and nitrous oxide (N2O). In the beef feedyard, average measured concentrations of phenol and p-cresol in four corners of the feedlot ranged from 56 to 300 ppbv and 14 to 76 ppbv, respectively. Measured average concentrations for CH4 and CO2 in four pens ranged from 3.6 to 39.6 ppmv and 561 to 626 ppmv, respectively. Average phenol EFs were 0.131±0.111, 0.005±0.002, and 0.001±0.000 kg hd-1 yr-1 from feedlot, compost piles, and lagoon, respectively. Estimated average p-cresol EFs were 0.045±0.036, 0.002±0.001, and 0.0002±0.00004 kg hd-1 yr-1 from feedlot, compost piles, and lagoon, respectively. The overall estimated EFs for phenol and p-cresol were 0.137±0.113 and 0.047±0.037 kg hd-1 yr-1, respectively, during summer. The feedlot alone contributed about 95% of the overall phenol and p-cresol emissions for this feedyard. The overall estimated CH4 and CO2 EFs were 2.18±2.98 and 386±157 kg hd-1 yr-1, respectively. During summer, the feedlot alone contributed about 73% and 82% of the overall CH4 and CO2 emissions from this feedyard.