Anaerobic digestion of poultry manure is a potentially-sustainable means of stabilizing this waste while generating biogas. However, technical, and environmental protection challenges remain, including high concentrations of ammonia, low C/N ratios, limited digestibility of bedding, and questions about transformation of nutrients during digestion. This study evaluated the effect of primary biological treatment of poultry manure on the biogas production process and reduction of ammonia emissions. Biogas yield from organic matter content in the aerobic pretreatment groups was 13.96% higher than that of the control group. Biogas production analysis showed that aerobic pretreatment of poultry manure has a positive effect on biogas composition; methane concentration increases by 6.94–7.97% after pretreatment. In comparison with the control group, NH3 emissions after aerobic pretreatment decreased from 3.37% (aerobic pretreatment without biological additives) to 33.89% (aerobic pretreatment with biological additives), depending on treatment method.
Intensive agriculture operations increase emissions of harmful gases into the environment. According to scientists, as much as 83-91% of total ammonia emission to the environment is accounted for by livestock operations (Bluteau and Daniel, 2009; Sanz et al., 2010). The reduction of ammonia emissions is one of the most widely considered matters within modern farming. Ammonia emissions not only lead to poor quality of air in livestock barns, but also contribute to the acidification of soils and surface waters, eutrophication, deforestation, etc. (Erisman et al., 2008; Menzi et al., 2006; Pereira et al., 2010), which in turn have a major effect on the atmosphere, the environment and the sensitive natural ecosystem.
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