An Analysis of Leachate Constituents and Pathogen Destruction in Deer Mortality Static Windrow Composting

Donaldson, Bridget M; Smith, G.P.; Kweon, Young-Jun; Sriranganathan, Nammalwar

doi:10.1007/s11270-012-1431-y

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Concentrations of Cl − in soil may be a good indicator for leaching from mortality compost because these ions are found at elevated concentrations in carcasses, are readily mobile in water, do not bind to soil, and are mostly unutilized by microbes (Donaldson et al, 2013;Glanville et al, 2009). Although no differences were found in Cl − concentration between treatments when all soil depths were considered, Cl − concentration did vary between treatments in the 0-to 5-cm soil depth (p < 0.01).…”

Section: Soil Leachatementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chloride ion concentrations beneath BM were elevated (p < 0.05) compared with control, WS, and the WS leachate zone. A previous study evaluating deer mortality compost reported cumulative concentrations of Cl − in leachate in the range of 200 to 800 mg L −1 (Donaldson et al, 2013). By adding the average Cl − concentration for each soil depth according to treatment and then subtracting the control treatment concentration, calculation for BM suggests that approximately ~211 mg L −1 of Cl − in the soil may be attributed to the effect of composting mortalities with BM.…”

Section: Soil Leachatementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Composting, as on-farm disposal, is used for management of routine livestock mortalities and for road-kills (Ahn et al, 2008a;Donaldson et al, 2013;Xu et al, 2010). However, composting for disposal of mortalities arising from infectious disease outbreak is much more limited.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Composting for Biocontained Cattle Mortality Disposal and Associated Greenhouse Gas and Leachate Emissions

et al. 2016

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Composting can be an effective means of biodegrading livestock mortalities in emergency disposal situations, such as disease outbreaks. Within the past decade, our knowledge detailing composting has increased substantially. However, research data linking the environmental impact of composting to atmospheric and terrestrial systems are limited. We investigated composting efficacy, greenhouse gas emissions, and leachate properties from two static compost piles, each containing 16 cattle mortalities, built with either beef manure (BM) or wood shavings (WS) as envelope material. Wood shavings achieved a greater maximum temperature than BM (60 vs. 50°C) and maintained higher temperatures over 200 d ( < 0.001). Greenhouse gas emissions were evaluated using a static chamber and gas chromatography. Emissions of NO ( < 0.001), CH ( < 0.01), and CO ( < 0.05) were lower from WS than BM, resulting in 3-fold lower total CO equivalent emissions. After 250 d of composting, piles were relocated, and soil cores were taken (i) from beneath the piles, (ii) adjacent to the piles where leachate had accumulated, and (iii) in a control zone without compost exposure. Elevated concentrations of ammonium ( < 0.05) and chloride ( < 0.05) were found in soil beneath both BM and WS. Microbial DNA profiles suggested that leachate from BM compost increased bacterial diversity in soil, maintaining a biological soil impact after pile removal. Degradation of bovine mitochondrial DNA fragments was monitored by polymerase chain reaction. Limited migration of genetic bovine material from compost into soil was observed. Based on the mortalities decomposition and leachate contents, both BM and WS are suitable envelope materials for composting.

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Section: Soil Leachatementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Soil Leachatementioning

confidence: 99%

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Composting for Biocontained Cattle Mortality Disposal and Associated Greenhouse Gas and Leachate Emissions

et al. 2016

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Inactivation of bacterial pathogenic load in compost against vermicompost of organic solid waste aiming to achieve sanitation goals: A review

2017

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Composting Roadkill: Research and Implementation by the Virginia Department of Transportation

Donaldson

Wilson

Moruza

et al. 2016

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

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More than 1.2 million deer–vehicle collisions occurred in the United States in 2014. Transportation departments are the primary agencies responsible for the removal and disposal of millions of wildlife killed on roads each year. In 2009, researchers at the Virginia Transportation Research Council began investigating composting as a means of roadkill management. This research was a response to the shortcomings of landfill and burial (the most common means of disposal in the United States) cited by transportation maintenance staff. Disposal challenges with these methods included long travel distances to landfills, landfill restrictions and costs, and the lack of viable burial areas. This paper summarizes a series of composting studies and describes the implementation efforts that led to a successful composting program for the Virginia Department of Transportation (Virginia DOT). Three roadkill composting methods were found to be effective: static compost windrows, a forced aeration system, and a rotary drum. The study findings of high temperatures, pathogen destruction, and nominal contaminant concentrations in leachate established that these composting methods are not sources of water contamination or pathogen spread. Successful pilot studies at Virginia DOT maintenance facilities led to a growing interest in adopting this method of roadkill management. Implementation efforts included coordination and training within the Virginia DOT and a regulatory agreement with the state environmental agency that allows the Virginia DOT to conduct composting without the more stringent requirements that apply to other types of material. The research findings, implementation efforts, and lessons learned described in this paper will be useful for transportation departments interested in composting as a means of roadkill management.

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An Analysis of Leachate Constituents and Pathogen Destruction in Deer Mortality Static Windrow Composting

Cited by 3 publications

References 11 publications

Composting for Biocontained Cattle Mortality Disposal and Associated Greenhouse Gas and Leachate Emissions

Composting for Biocontained Cattle Mortality Disposal and Associated Greenhouse Gas and Leachate Emissions

Inactivation of bacterial pathogenic load in compost against vermicompost of organic solid waste aiming to achieve sanitation goals: A review

Composting Roadkill: Research and Implementation by the Virginia Department of Transportation

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