Multi-utilisation of Cow Dung as Biomass
Anan Ashrabi Ananno, Mahadi Hasan Masud, Mosarrat Mahjabeen,
and Peter Dabnichki
Abstract
Cow dung or cow manure is a heterogeneous substance
excreted by bovine animal species as waste. It also
contains water, microbiota, feed scraps and dead skin. The
demand for livestock and dairy products has led to the
exponential growth in cow dung generation in the past
decades. Cow dung is primarily disposed in the environment, used as organic fertiliser or used as solid fuel in rural
areas. However, severe environmental and ecological
damage has been caused by indiscriminate disposal and
improper elimination of cow dung into the surrounding.
This alarming problem can be addressed by converting
cow dung into biofuel via thermochemical process or be
used as organic fertiliser after vermicompost treatment.
Moreover, cow dung can be used for electricity production, heat, biochar and friction composites. A cow dung to
biofuel conversion systems should be efficient and well
controlled to offer economically feasible energy generation and limit environmental pollution. Hence, the objective of this chapter is to analyse the physio-chemical
properties of cow dung and evaluate its potential for
multi-utilisation as biofuel and organic fertiliser. Moreover, the chapter discusses advanced processes of thermochemical energetic conversion of cow dung to assess its
potential as a sustainable renewable source.
Keywords
Cow dung Á Generation Á Composting Á Physio-chemical
properties Á Fertiliser Á Combustion Á Anaerobic
co-digestion Á Vermicompost Á Biochar Á Advance
techniques
1 Introduction
Dairy farming is one of the largest and fastest-growing
industries in the world. In 2020 the global cattle population
count reached 987.51 million head (Statista 2012). Moreover, the estimated dairy market value worldwide is 673.8
billion USD which is expected to pass 1 trillion USD by
2024 (Shahbandeh 2019). Hence, it is evident that the
growth of cattle production will not decline in the near
future. As the cattle population increases, livestock manure
generation increases proportionally—with that comes
unavoidable waste disposal problems. Livestock waste is a
serious concern for public health and the environment as it
releases harmful pathogens, noxious gas, and odour (Masud
et al. 2019). According to the United Nations report, livestock contributes globally 14.5% of all greenhouse gas
pollution (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc.), half
of which comes from cows (DeMartini 2017). Cattle generate more methane by volume than humans as a cow produces approximately 200 litres of methane per day
(DeMartini 2017). Moreover, improper and indiscriminate
cow dung dumping or using it for landfilling poses further
challenges. If cow manure is not treated properly before
applying it to soil the phosphorus and nitrogen in the cow
dung can contaminate nearby water bodies during rainfall.
Therefore, it is essential to use modern waste treatment
technologies to properly manage cow dung and avoid global
scale environmental pollution. The exorbitant cost of running a cow waste treatment system is prohibitive for most
developing and least developed countries. Hence, this
A. A. Ananno
Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping
University, Linköping, 581 83, Sweden
M. H. Masud (&) Á P. Dabnichki
School of Engineering, RMIT University, Bundoora Campus,
Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
e-mail: masud.08ruet@gmail.com
M. H. Masud
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rajshahi University of
Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi, 6204, Bangladesh
M. Mahjabeen
Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, Sher-e-Bangla Nagor,
Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Inamuddin and A. Khan (eds.), Sustainable Bioconversion of Waste to Value Added Products, Advances in Science,
Technology & Innovation, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61837-7_13
215
Anan Ashrabi Ananno, Mahadi Hasan Masud, Mosarrat Mahjabeen,
and Peter Dabnichki
Abstract
Cow dung or cow manure is a heterogeneous substance
excreted by bovine animal species as waste. It also
contains water, microbiota, feed scraps and dead skin. The
demand for livestock and dairy products has led to the
exponential growth in cow dung generation in the past
decades. Cow dung is primarily disposed in the environment, used as organic fertiliser or used as solid fuel in rural
areas. However, severe environmental and ecological
damage has been caused by indiscriminate disposal and
improper elimination of cow dung into the surrounding.
This alarming problem can be addressed by converting
cow dung into biofuel via thermochemical process or be
used as organic fertiliser after vermicompost treatment.
Moreover, cow dung can be used for electricity production, heat, biochar and friction composites. A cow dung to
biofuel conversion systems should be efficient and well
controlled to offer economically feasible energy generation and limit environmental pollution. Hence, the objective of this chapter is to analyse the physio-chemical
properties of cow dung and evaluate its potential for
multi-utilisation as biofuel and organic fertiliser. Moreover, the chapter discusses advanced processes of thermochemical energetic conversion of cow dung to assess its
potential as a sustainable renewable source.
Keywords
Cow dung Á Generation Á Composting Á Physio-chemical
properties Á Fertiliser Á Combustion Á Anaerobic
co-digestion Á Vermicompost Á Biochar Á Advance
techniques
1 Introduction
Dairy farming is one of the largest and fastest-growing
industries in the world. In 2020 the global cattle population
count reached 987.51 million head (Statista 2012). Moreover, the estimated dairy market value worldwide is 673.8
billion USD which is expected to pass 1 trillion USD by
2024 (Shahbandeh 2019). Hence, it is evident that the
growth of cattle production will not decline in the near
future. As the cattle population increases, livestock manure
generation increases proportionally—with that comes
unavoidable waste disposal problems. Livestock waste is a
serious concern for public health and the environment as it
releases harmful pathogens, noxious gas, and odour (Masud
et al. 2019). According to the United Nations report, livestock contributes globally 14.5% of all greenhouse gas
pollution (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc.), half
of which comes from cows (DeMartini 2017). Cattle generate more methane by volume than humans as a cow produces approximately 200 litres of methane per day
(DeMartini 2017). Moreover, improper and indiscriminate
cow dung dumping or using it for landfilling poses further
challenges. If cow manure is not treated properly before
applying it to soil the phosphorus and nitrogen in the cow
dung can contaminate nearby water bodies during rainfall.
Therefore, it is essential to use modern waste treatment
technologies to properly manage cow dung and avoid global
scale environmental pollution. The exorbitant cost of running a cow waste treatment system is prohibitive for most
developing and least developed countries. Hence, this
A. A. Ananno
Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping
University, Linköping, 581 83, Sweden
M. H. Masud (&) Á P. Dabnichki
School of Engineering, RMIT University, Bundoora Campus,
Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
e-mail: masud.08ruet@gmail.com
M. H. Masud
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rajshahi University of
Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi, 6204, Bangladesh
M. Mahjabeen
Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, Sher-e-Bangla Nagor,
Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Inamuddin and A. Khan (eds.), Sustainable Bioconversion of Waste to Value Added Products, Advances in Science,
Technology & Innovation, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61837-7_13
215