Chemical Process Shows Potential for Recovering Phosphorus from Manure for Commercial Sale [Edited]

May 14, 2009 — 

Researchers with the University of Manitoba are confident a chemical process used to remove struvite from municipal waste streams for sale as phosphorus fertilizer can be applied to livestock manure.

Last September researchers with University of Manitoba launched a two year project aimed at recovering magnesium ammonium phosphate, or struvite, from raw liquid or anaerobically digested hog manure for use as phosphorus fertilizer.

Biosystems engineering professor Dr. Nazim Cicek explains struvite, an inorganic crystal, can be used as a slow release fertilizer.

Dr. Cicek explains that the primary objective is to look at some basic laboratory testing with raw manure that's been stored in lagoon type environments and also looking at laboratory based anaerobically digested manure. Those two starting products are different in nature as far as the phosphorus type and content is concerned so researchers are focusing on understanding the dynamics of this crystallization process and trying to optimize the process in terms of adding the minimal amount of chemicals to it, which would lower the cost.

Ultimately the idea would be to propose to farmers and proponents how to go about recovering this chemical in a cost effective manner. Researchers would provide producers with the technical data and a cost analysis to determine the circumstances under which phosphorus recovery would become a reasonable alternative for the farmer and actually be a revenue stream.

Dr. Cicek suggests, by recovering some of the phosphorus in this form, the left over manure will be more agronomically suited for land application while reducing the risk of phosphorus running off into waterways.

Major funding for this project is provided by the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI)

Source:
Farmscape.ca, Episode 3181