Slurry Acidification as a Tool to Reduce Ammonia Emissions

Abstract

Ammonia emissions are a worldwide major environmental concern. In 2017, ammonia emissions in the European part of Russia amounted to 80.9 thousand tons, of which up to 56.9 thousand tons came from agriculture. The main source of ammonia in this sector is the farm animal/poultry manure (slurry) utilisation technologies. Slurry acidification technology (SAT) is one of the methods to reduce ammonia emissions. (Research purpose) To assess the potential application of this technology in the Russian part of the Baltic Sea catchment area within the North-West Federal District of the Russian Federation. (Materials and methods) The area under study included Republic of Karelia, Kaliningrad, Leningrad, Novgorod and Pskov Regions. The authors considered the statistical data on the farm animal stock and the slurry output in the pilot area. The dynamic pattern of pig slurry pH was experimentally determined. The economic efficiency of slurry acidification technology was calculated for two functioning livestock complexes. (Results and discussion) According to statistical data, around 11.8 million tons of animal/poultry manure is produced in the pilot area annually, including around 7.4 million tons of slurry, which could potentially be acidified. Three SAT options – in-house, in-storage and in-field application – were considered for the Russian conditions. The main limiting factors for SAR application were identified. The SAT introduction costs and economic benefits were compared. (Conclusions) The prospects of SAT introduction in the pilot region were estimated. The need for the integrated research under the Russian conditions involving engineers, biologists, soil scientists, ecologists and other specialists, who could prove the feasibility and economic efficiency of the slurry acidification technology, was established.

Keywords

• manure
• slurry
• acidification
• ammonia emission
• north-west federal district of the russian federation.