Biotechnological Methods for Solving Environmental Problems in Livestock Effluent Processing

In modern conditions of industrial agricultural production, the issue of solving environmental protection problems and creating favorable conditions for human life is particularly acute.

The processing of livestock effluent is one of the most important issues requiring solutions. Effluent from pig complexes occupies a special place.

The main activity of industrial-type pig complexes, alongside pork production, should be directed at the ecologization of production through the processing and effective use of the entire volume of manure produced as organic fertilizers. This will allow enterprises to transition to zero-waste technologies, increase agricultural land productivity, and make rational use of natural resources. The high agronomic, economic, and social effects will justify the costs incurred.

Strong and unpleasant odors of organic origin at pig complex locations create inconveniences for both enterprise workers and people in the immediate vicinity. Significant ammonia and hydrogen sulfide content in the air of production facilities leads to decreased animal appetite, weakened immunity, and provokes aggressive behavior, resulting in noticeably reduced production economic indicators. To address the above problem, preparations are being developed for the decontamination and processing of manure effluent based on bacteria possessing a complex of high enzymatic and antimicrobial activity against pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms.

Microbiological transformation of waste is becoming an increasingly sought-after method of effluent processing, as it is preferable to chemical or physical processes due to the simultaneous execution of a combination of reactions under natural conditions. In addition, microorganisms are capable of modifying virtually any substrate and utilizing unexploited environmental elements. Due to the broad spectrum of substrate specificity of their enzymes, microorganisms have advantages over other methods of organic waste processing.

The compositions of biopreparations, dosages, and application conditions allow regulation of microbial waste processing, intensification of mineralization of the initial substrate, and activation of biosynthesis of new compounds.

Biopreparations used in the complex of measures applied must ensure compliance with veterinary-sanitary and sanitary-hygienic requirements for pig complex operation with minimal water consumption, guaranteed environmental protection from manure effluent contamination, and a high level of mechanization of manure effluent removal processes at pig complexes.

Processing of pig effluent is a rather complex task. To solve it, specialists at LLC "NTC BIO" conducted many years of research on the study and selection of microorganism strains with high antagonistic, enzymatic, and destructive activity that most effectively reduce the content of harmful substances in effluent. The goal was to develop a biopreparation that would ensure significant reduction of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations in the air of production facilities, improve sanitary and hygienic conditions for animal housing and working conditions for production personnel. Effluent treated with the biopreparation should possess enhanced fertilizing qualities when used as organic fertilizers. It is also necessary to eliminate unpleasant odors arising when effluent is applied to fields.

The following objectives were formulated:

• Eliminate strong and unpleasant odors by reducing harmful gases in production facilities (hydrogen sulfide and ammonia);
• Improve effluent homogeneity through accelerated fermentation to speed up the draining of baths and lagoons;
• Improve working conditions and suppress odors in the environment;
• Demonstrate the economic effectiveness of applying biological methods for effluent processing;

As a result of comprehensive microbiological, biochemical, and biotechnological research, LLC "NTC BIO" together with specialists from scientific and production organizations of the country developed and organized the production of the Sanvit-K biopreparation for biotransformation of livestock effluent.

Extensive production trials were conducted with the aim of:

• Demonstrating the effectiveness of Sanvit-K for improving the microclimate in production buildings;
• Investigating changes in the physicochemical properties of effluent when using Sanvit-K and the redistribution of active substance in the liquid phase;
• Evaluating the technical and economic indicators of Sanvit-K application.

Numerous experiments and analytical work were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of treating pig effluent with the Sanvit-K preparation at different dosages and with different application schemes.

Currently, in accordance with the directive of the Governor of the Belgorod Region, Sanvit-K is undergoing extensive production testing at farms. The results obtained at pig farming operations showed that the use of the preparation allows achieving a 25-70% reduction in ammonia concentration levels in the air of pig complex production facilities, a 23-50% reduction in hydrogen sulfide levels, and a 1.2-2.5 times increase in total nitrogen content in pig effluent. A positive effect on animals was also noted (an increase in average daily weight gain of piglets by 4.2-12% was achieved), and more comfortable conditions are created for service personnel.

A rather rare fact deserves special attention from producers: the costs of solving environmental problems are recouped through increased weight gains and improved animal survival rates thanks to creating a more comfortable environment in their housing facilities.

Under the action of Sanvit-K, very important technological processes occur: the "cap" of organic material above the liquid phase in the bath disappears, effluent homogenization occurs through suspension formation, sediment deposits are prevented as they become easily mobile and removable, which allows reducing the consumption of water used.

It has been shown that manure effluent under the action of the Sanvit-K preparation is purified by COD by 15-28% within 20 days.

Based on the results obtained, it can be confidently stated that the Sanvit-K DBA is an effective biopreparation for the treatment of organic waste. Through effective biotransformation of organic substances in effluent, a significant reduction of unpleasant odors is achieved. Sanvit-K indirectly has a positive effect on animals, improves production indicators, while also creating more comfortable conditions for service personnel and people living in areas adjacent to agricultural facilities and effluent application fields.

Treated effluent with enhanced biological activity should be considered as a source of nutrients, as a carrier of additional effectiveness for agricultural production.

The potential of biotechnologies for processing agricultural waste, particularly livestock waste, and the technology for applying products based on them represents a new direction of scientific-production interaction. Its implementation requires effective cooperation of various specialists to achieve a synergistic effect as a result of improving existing technologies and their effective application.

The developed Sanvit-K DBA biopreparation is used at farms in the Belgorod, Kursk, Voronezh, Novgorod, Pskov, Tambov, Tver, and Moscow regions, in the Stavropol Territory, and the Republic of Tatarstan.

Using the example of Sanvit-K application, it has been shown that biotechnological methods can find not only solutions to environmental problems but also generate additional profit through the use of agricultural waste. By approximate estimates, the effectiveness of applying the preparation in effluent volumes of 10 million m3 per year could amount to up to 800 million rubles in agriculture alone.