Journal
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Volume 161, Issue -, Pages 84-91Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.02.024
Keywords
Biochar; Compost; Poultry; Nitrogen; Temperature; Chemical oxygen demand
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This study tested the co-composting effect of commercially available biochars with full-size poultry carcasses and found that adding wood-based and cow manure biochar can increase compost temperature and meet the specifications for eliminating avian influenza viruses. Wood-based biochar also reduces the chemical oxygen demand of leachate without significantly affecting ammonia emissions and sodium content.
Composting has been recognized as a viable method to dispose of animal carcasses. Common concerns related to the composting process include low core temperatures, leachate generation, and ammonia emissions. This study tested co-composting full-size poultry carcasses with commercially available biochars at an aeration rate of 0.8 L center dot min(-1). Biochars prepared by gasifying wood pallets, distillers' grains, and cow manure were added to the composting bins at the 13% rate (by volume). Results showed that poultry carcasses with wood-based and cow manure biochar increased temperatures by 2.0 to 3.3 degrees C. All biochar-amended bins met the time-temperature criteria to eliminate avian influenza (H7N1) viruses, which could not be achieved without biochar addition. Wood-based biochar amendment lowered the cumulative chemical oxygen demand of the leachate samples by 87% (P = 0.02). At the rate studied, the biochar amendment did not significantly affect ammonia emissions (P = 0.56). BET surface area of wood-based biochar was 1.4 and 28 times greater than that of cow manure and distillers' grain biochar, respectively. Compared to no biochar addition, wood-based biochar resulted in signif-icantly higher compost temperatures (P = 0.02), lower leachate COD values (P = 0.02), and a higher total ni-trogen content (P = 0.01) while it did not cause an increase in sodium content (P = 0.94) of the finished compost. In conclusion, amending the poultry carcass composting process with wood-based biochar (13% by volume) is recommended, especially to eliminate disease-causing agents.
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