Impact of struvite crystallization on nitrogen losses during composting of pig manure and cornstalk

Journal Article · Sat May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Waste Management

OSTI ID:21357666

Limei, Ren ^[1]; Schuchardt, Frank ^[2]; Yujun, Shen ^[1]; Chunping, Li ^[3]

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1. College of Resource and Environmental Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094 (China)
2. Heinrich von Thunen-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, Institute of Agricultural Technology and Biosystems Engineering, Braunschweig 38116 (Germany)
3. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

An absorbent mixture of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH){sub 2}) and phosphoric acid (H{sub 3}PO{sub 4}) was added to compost mixtures of pig manure with cornstalk in different molar ratios (T1, 1:1; T2, 1:2; T3, 1:3) in order to examine its effect on controlling ammonia losses during composting. Based on the principle of struvite precipitation, and with an unamended trial as control (CK), an in-vessel composting experiment was conducted in fermenters (60 L with forced aeration) in which the absorbent mixture was added with proportions of 3.8%, 7.3% and 8.9% of dry weight for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. The results showed that the total nitrogen loss was reduced from 35% to 12%, 5% and 1% of initial N mass, respectively. In the final compost, the total nitrogen content in T1, T2 and T3 was improved by 10, 14, 12 g kg{sup -1}, and NH{sub 4}{sup +}-N in T1, T2 and T3 was improved by 8, 9, and 10 g kg{sup -1}, respectively, compared with the unamended trial. The results of the germination index test showed that the maturity of treatment T2 was best among the four treatments in the final compost, followed by T1, CK and T3. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate (MgNH{sub 4}PO{sub 4}.6H{sub 2}O:MAP) in the T1, T2 and T3 compost. Based on these results, the adsorbent mixture of Mg(OH){sub 2} + H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} could control nitrogen loss effectively during composting via struvite crystallization. However, an excess of phosphoric acid (1:3) had a negative influence on composting properties. The pH value decreased which led to reduced microorganism activity, and which finally resulted in reduced biodegradation of the organic matter.

• OSTI ID: 21357666
• Journal Information: Waste Management, Vol. 30, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2009.08.006; PII: S0956-053X(09)00352-3; Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0956-053X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ABSORBENTS
ADSORBENTS
AERATION
AMMONIA
AMMONIUM PHOSPHATES
BIODEGRADATION
COMPOST
COMPOSTING
CRYSTALLIZATION
GERMINATION
MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDES
MANURES
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN
ORGANIC MATTER
PH VALUE
PHOSPHORIC ACID
PRECIPITATION
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DECOMPOSITION
DIFFRACTION
ELEMENTS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
INORGANIC ACIDS
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATTER
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC WASTES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
SCATTERING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES