Get started
Work

Design and establishment of a biofilter for treatment of manure methane emissions

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: During the storage of livestock manure in tanks, anaerobic degradation of organic material results in the production and emission of CH 4 . This study tested a biofilter designed for CH 4 oxidation as a potential technology for mitigating CH 4 emissions from covered manure storage tanks. A full-scale biofilter (400 m 2 ) was built next to a pig manure tank (4.400 m 3 ). Total yearly CH 4 emissions from the manure tank prior to the establishment of the biofilter varied between 2.1 and 21.1 kg h −1 . With a pump flow of ∼ 100 m 3 h −1 , it was possible to collect 75 % of the produced gas from the headspace of the tent covered manure tank. The average biofilter CH 4 load for the first year was 4.6 kg CH 4 h −1 , and the total yearly load was 42 tons of CH 4 . The biofilter was monitored for 1.5 years by measuring the collected gas, gas concentrations in the gas distribution layer and the temperature and moisture in the CH 4 oxidation layer. Gas concentrations in the gas distribution layer were similar to inlet gas concentrations, indicating efficient gas transportation and distribution in the biofilter, whilst biofilter surface CH 4 screenings revealed only a few localised emission hotspots. The annual average temperature in the biofilter was 49 °C and was related to the CH 4 load. When the CH 4 load to the biofilter was stable and above 2 kg CH 4 h −1 , the temperature in the oxidation layer was found to be around 57 °C or higher, indicating that CH 4 oxidation was occurring.
DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115087
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,450
OpenAlex ID: W4413974585
FWCI: 1.686
Cites: 27
Cited by: 6
Related to: 10