Removal of phosphorus and nitrogen from swine manure using a natural coagulant

Abstract

Due to a significant amount of nutrients in its composition, swine manure (SM) is commonly used to complement or replace commercial agricultural fertilizers. However, an improper application in crops could cause negative environmental impacts, especially due to the excessive supply of nutrients in its composition. This paper aimed to evaluate the removal of total Kjedahl nitrogen (TKN) and total phosphorus (TP) from SM biodigested by the coagulation/flocculation (CF) process with organic polymers. The SM samples were collected in two distinct seasonal periods (rainy and dry seasons), with CF tests in two stages. During the first stage, slow mixing times (SMTs) of 15, 20, and 25 min were tested, and in the second stage, the coagulant (0 – 1.75 g L-1) and flocculant dosage (0 – 0.0025 g L-1) effects were evaluated. The results show that the optimal SMT was 15 min in both the seasons. In the rainy season, the highest phosphorus and nitrogen removals were 80 and 27%, respectively, while in the dry season, the highest phosphorus and nitrogen removals were 70 and 25%, respectively. The finding shows that the use of flocculants did not improve the removal of TP and TKN when compared with the control conditions. It is concluded that the CF process can be used to remove TP and TKN from SM, with a possible concentration of them in the generated sludge.