Treatment and Bioconversion of Manure
Effluents
Joseph K. Bwapwa
Abstract
Bioconversion of manure effluents can be considered as a
promising and environmentally friendly option for the
treatment of manure effluents. These conversion processes may be sustainable and beneficial for the farming
and agricultural industry. Physical treatments, including
daily spreading, liquid effluent storage, solids separation,
odour control and lagoon treatment, can be undertaken
before biological or chemical treatments. They do not
involve major transformation when it comes to the nature
of the manure effluents and its content. They are generally
used for conditioning the liquid or solids from the
effluent. Chemical treatments of manure effluents are
undertaken to improve the removal efficiency of solids,
pathogens and odours. They are effective and used with
the addition of coagulating agents and pH regulator to
significantly improve the quality of the final product
being treated from manure effluents. In this review, the
main focus is on bioconversion processes. They involve
biological reactions and microorganisms activity under
defined operating conditions. Aerobic and anaerobic
digestion are described as the major biological processes
to be explored for manure effluents treatment. They
constitute the basis of most processes. Bioconversion
involves processes such as composting, biodrying, gasification, cofiring, pelletization, methanol and syngas
production, and many others. The majority of these
processes lead to the generation of by-products, such as
fertilizers and biogas, which can be used in the farming
and agricultural activities. Heat generation, clean fuels or
renewable energy resources are also generated from
manure effluents and they may be useful in the energy
sector. Furthermore, many other emerging applications
using manure effluents, such as microalgae production,
aquaculture, bedding, soil reclamation, are still being
developed; they will also contribute to the expansion of
the field of bioconversion of manure effluent soon.
Keywords
Bioconversion Á Manure effluents Á Anaerobic
digestion Á Aerobic digestion Á Biodrying Á
Composting Á Pelletization
1 Introduction
Manure effluents are mainly made of various organic components which may be useful in many applications by producing organic nitrogen, organic phosphorus, biofertilizers
and biogas via conversion processes (Gajdoš 1998; Khalid
et al. 2011; Chew et al. 2019). These processes can be
physical, chemical or biological. Manure effluents are mainly
generated by farming and agricultural activities (Saggar et al.
2004). These activities are vital in many countries because of
their contribution to the economy and wellbeing of the
populations. For most countries agriculture and farming
provide healthy and affordable food to consumers; however,
the nature of their wastes may harm the environment. There
is, therefore, a tremendous need for a remedial strategy that
can help recycle the wastes and their reuse (Wato et al. 2020;
Gontard et al. 2018). Open space, wildlife habitats and
aquifer recharge are known as very significant ecological
gains that are linked to farming. On the other hand, additional
nitrates in the groundwater, pathogenic molecules in the
potable water and surplus of nutrients, biological oxygen
demand (BOD) and solid residues in surface waters can harm
the environment (Wato et al. 2020; Burkholder et al. 2007;
Hubbard et al. 2004). Furthermore, farming can affect the
surroundings with generation of odours, global warming
gases and acid rains (Marszałek et al. 2018; Singh and Singh
2017). It is an obvious fact that our modern society has
J. K. Bwapwa (&)
Mangosuthu University of Technology, Umlazi, Durban,
South Africa
e-mail: joseph@mut.ac.za; josephkapuku@gmail.com
© 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_18
299
Effluents
Joseph K. Bwapwa
Abstract
Bioconversion of manure effluents can be considered as a
promising and environmentally friendly option for the
treatment of manure effluents. These conversion processes may be sustainable and beneficial for the farming
and agricultural industry. Physical treatments, including
daily spreading, liquid effluent storage, solids separation,
odour control and lagoon treatment, can be undertaken
before biological or chemical treatments. They do not
involve major transformation when it comes to the nature
of the manure effluents and its content. They are generally
used for conditioning the liquid or solids from the
effluent. Chemical treatments of manure effluents are
undertaken to improve the removal efficiency of solids,
pathogens and odours. They are effective and used with
the addition of coagulating agents and pH regulator to
significantly improve the quality of the final product
being treated from manure effluents. In this review, the
main focus is on bioconversion processes. They involve
biological reactions and microorganisms activity under
defined operating conditions. Aerobic and anaerobic
digestion are described as the major biological processes
to be explored for manure effluents treatment. They
constitute the basis of most processes. Bioconversion
involves processes such as composting, biodrying, gasification, cofiring, pelletization, methanol and syngas
production, and many others. The majority of these
processes lead to the generation of by-products, such as
fertilizers and biogas, which can be used in the farming
and agricultural activities. Heat generation, clean fuels or
renewable energy resources are also generated from
manure effluents and they may be useful in the energy
sector. Furthermore, many other emerging applications
using manure effluents, such as microalgae production,
aquaculture, bedding, soil reclamation, are still being
developed; they will also contribute to the expansion of
the field of bioconversion of manure effluent soon.
Keywords
Bioconversion Á Manure effluents Á Anaerobic
digestion Á Aerobic digestion Á Biodrying Á
Composting Á Pelletization
1 Introduction
Manure effluents are mainly made of various organic components which may be useful in many applications by producing organic nitrogen, organic phosphorus, biofertilizers
and biogas via conversion processes (Gajdoš 1998; Khalid
et al. 2011; Chew et al. 2019). These processes can be
physical, chemical or biological. Manure effluents are mainly
generated by farming and agricultural activities (Saggar et al.
2004). These activities are vital in many countries because of
their contribution to the economy and wellbeing of the
populations. For most countries agriculture and farming
provide healthy and affordable food to consumers; however,
the nature of their wastes may harm the environment. There
is, therefore, a tremendous need for a remedial strategy that
can help recycle the wastes and their reuse (Wato et al. 2020;
Gontard et al. 2018). Open space, wildlife habitats and
aquifer recharge are known as very significant ecological
gains that are linked to farming. On the other hand, additional
nitrates in the groundwater, pathogenic molecules in the
potable water and surplus of nutrients, biological oxygen
demand (BOD) and solid residues in surface waters can harm
the environment (Wato et al. 2020; Burkholder et al. 2007;
Hubbard et al. 2004). Furthermore, farming can affect the
surroundings with generation of odours, global warming
gases and acid rains (Marszałek et al. 2018; Singh and Singh
2017). It is an obvious fact that our modern society has
J. K. Bwapwa (&)
Mangosuthu University of Technology, Umlazi, Durban,
South Africa
e-mail: joseph@mut.ac.za; josephkapuku@gmail.com
© 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_18
299