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Treatment of cow‐waste slurry by a microbial fuel cell and the properties of the treated slurry as a liquid manure
Author(s) -
YOKOYAMA Hiroshi,
OHMORI Hideyuki,
ISHIDA Mitsuyoshi,
WAKI Miyoko,
TANAKA Yasuo
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
animal science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.606
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1740-0929
pISSN - 1344-3941
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2006.00395.x
Subject(s) - slurry , microbial fuel cell , manure , environmental science , chemical oxygen demand , waste management , fertilizer , resource recovery , pulp and paper industry , biogas , phosphorus , liquid manure , effluent , ammonia , biodegradable waste , wastewater , electricity generation , chemistry , environmental engineering , agronomy , biology , power (physics) , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering
Resource recycling and the proper treatment of animal waste to reduce its environmental impact are currently important issues for the livestock industry. A microbial fuel cell (MFC), a new type of bioreactor, is expected to play roles in both waste‐water purification and energy recovery. However, the generation of electricity from cow waste has not yet been examined. In this study, using an MFC, we examined the possibility of generating electricity from dairy‐cow waste slurry, and analyzed the properties of the treated slurry as liquid manure for resource recycling. The MFC treatment of the slurry generated electricity in a dose‐dependent manner, and the maximum power output by the MFC from a 1 g of chemical oxygen demand/L slurry was 0.34 mW/m 2 . After the MFC treatment, 84% of the biological oxygen demand in the slurry was removed and three essential fertilizer elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) were retained at 84, 70, and 91% levels, respectively. The amount of ammonia nitrogen in the slurry, as an element of fast‐release fertilizer, was increased by 1.9‐fold. Although the treated slurry displayed properties that made it preferable as liquid manure, further studies to improve the electrical power output by the MFC are required for practical use.