Simultaneous Removal of Nutrient and Organic Matter in Liquid Swine Manure Using Sequencing Batch Reactors

Jun Zhu, Associate Professor, Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, MN
Zhiying Han, visiting graduate student, Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, MN
Curtis Miller, Assistant Scientist, Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, MN

Funding Source

Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station

Objective

The objective of the project is to investigate the use of sequencing batch reactors to treat animal wastewater for nutrients removal.

Need or Impact

There is a need for alternative systems to treating animal wastewater to remove nutrients for environmental protection. The findings from this study will provide information for further developing an alternating anaerobic/oxic (AO)2 sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treating liquid animal manure.

Project Status

The project is ongoing. The results from the completed portion indicate that the (AO)2 SBR system can successfully carry out the nitrification process, resulting in a nearly complete removal of ammonium nitrogen added to the reactor (99.9%). Also removed is nitrite nitrogen at the end of the cycle, although it is not present at a significant level throughout the treatment. Scanning electron spectroscopy pictures show good development of bacterial groups responsible for nitrification/denitrification and phosphorus removal. Further research is needed to scale up the reactor so that it can be used at the farm level.