Animal Waste Lagoon Water Quality Study
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Animal Waste Lagoon Water Quality Study A Research Report by Kansas State University June 23, 1999 Principal Investigators J.M. Ham, Department of Agronomy L.N. Reddi, Department of Civil Engineering C.W. Rice, Department of Agronomy Submitted in partial fulfillment of a contract between Kansas State University and the Kansas Water Office, Topeka, KS. Executive Summary Animal Waste Lagoon Water Quality Study J.M. Ham, L.M. Reddi, and C.W. Rice Kansas State University Report Period: May, 1998 to June, 1999 Anaerobic lagoons are used to collect, treat, and store waste at many concentrated animal operations (CAOs) in Kansas. Lagoons contain nutrients, salts, and other soluble chemicals that, in many cases, are eventually applied to crops as fertilizer. While waste is stored and treated in the lagoons, seepage losses from the sides and bottom of the containment could potentially affect soil and ground water quality. Of primary concern, is possible movement of nitrate-nitrogen into aquifers used to supply drinking water. Bacteria, which also are present in the waste, are another potential source for contamination. A comprehensive environmental assessment of lagoons requires three focus areas: (a) toxicity – what are the constituents in the lagoon waste that pose a threat to water quality and public health? (b) input loading – at what rate does waste seep from a lagoon under field conditions? and (c) aquifer vulnerability – how do soil properties, geology, and water table depth affect the risk of waste movement from the lagoon to the ground water? Researchers at Kansas State University (KSU), in cooperation with the Kansas Water Office, are conducting research to examine these issues. The long- term goal is to determine the best management practices for siting, building, and operating lagoons to adequately protect ground water resources near CAOs. The KSU research project includes: (1) a survey of lagoon effluent chemistry at swine production facilities, cattle feedlots, and dairies; (2) refinement of new measurement techniques to measure whole-lagoon seepage under field conditions; (3) measurement of lagoon seepage and subsurface nitrogen movement at commercial swine and cattle CAOs; (4) laboratory studies of permeability and contaminant transport in soils used to construct lagoon liners; and (5) preliminary computer modeling of water and waste movement in soils beneath lagoons. This report summarizes current research findings in these areas. However, new issues continue to arise as more data becomes available. Thus, this report documents the state of an ongoing project, and certain topics will require additional research before firm conclusions can be reached. 1. Survey of Lagoon Effluent Chemistry. Samples of lagoon effluent were collected from five swine-waste lagoons and four cattle-feedlot runoff lagoons across Kansas (Appendix A). Samples were sometimes collected several times throughout the year to examine seasonal trends. Analysis included + twenty-five chemical and physical characteristics. Ammonium-nitrogen (NH4 -N) accounted for over 99 % of the soluble nitrogen and averaged 673 mg/L (ppm) at swine waste lagoons and 98 mg/L (ppm) at the cattle sites. Ammonium-N typically ranged from 550 to 900 mg/L (ppm) at swine sites and from 20 to 200 mg/L (ppm) at cattle feedlots. The highest ammonium-N concentration, 2000 mg/L (ppm), was observed at swine site in the first stage basin of a two-stage lagoon system (concentration was much lower in the second stage lagoon). Nitrate concentrations were less than 3 mg/L (ppm) at all locations. Total phosphorous averaged 45 mg/L (ppm) across all samples and was similar at the cattle and swine lagoons. On average, sodium was 148 mg/L (ppm) at the cattle feedlots and 270 mg/L (ppm) at the swine sites. Chloride was 275 and 569 mg/L (ppm) at the swine and cattle sites, respectively. Concentrations of nutrients did not vary substantially with depth in the liquid zone above the bottom-sludge layer. However, the organic sludge in the bottom of lagoons did contain higher concentrations of phosphorus. In most cases, strong seasonal patterns in waste chemistry were not evident. At some swine sites, ammonium-N in spring tended to be about 200 mg/L (ppm) higher than that observed in late fall. Results show that waste chemistry is species dependent, with nitrogen concentrations at swine sites being about six times higher than those at cattle feedlots. Conversely, chloride tended to be higher in cattle-feedlot runoff lagoons. The design and management of the waste treatment system (e.g., single-stage vs. multistage lagoons, lagoon volume vs. size of runoff watershed) also affected waste chemistry. The large site-to-site variation in chemical concentrations could affect the risk of ground water contamination and influence decisions regarding the land application of waste. 1 2. Refinement of New Measurement Techniques. Tests were conducted to verify the accuracy of field techniques for measuring whole-lagoon seepage using water balance methods (Chapter 1). Seepage was calculated as the difference between waste level changes (depth) and evaporation when all other lagoon inflows and outflows were precluded. Precision water level recorders, evaporation pans, floating meteorological buoys, and evaporation models were developed and tested to measure the water balance. Results showed that seepage could be measured to within ±0.5 mm/day (0.02 inch/day) over a brief study periods (5 to 10 days) when the evaporation was less than 6 mm/day (0.23 inch/day) During the winter months, when evaporation was small, seepage was estimated to within 0.2 mm/day (0.01 inch/day). Data show that much can be learned about the performance of a lagoon by simply measuring changes in depth over time during the winter. 3. Measurement of Lagoon Seepage and Subsurface Nitrogen Movement. Whole-lagoon seepage rates were measured from seven swine-waste lagoons and two cattle-feedlot runoff collection lagoons (Chapter 2). The earthen lagoons ranged in size from 0.2 to 2.5 ha (0.1 to 5.5 acres) and had waste depths between 1.5 and 6 m (5 to 18 ft.) Seven of the lagoons had waste depths in excess of 5 m (16 ft.). Most lagoons had compacted soil liners between 0.3 and 0.5 m (12 and 24 inch). The average seepage rate from the lagoons was 1.2 mm/day, or 0.05 inch/day (approx. 1/20 inch/day). Among lagoons tested, seepage ranged from 0.2 to 2.4 mm/day (Chapter 3). At some locations, seepage results were combined with data on lagoon geometry and construction methods to estimate the in-situ permeability of the liner. In lagoons built with silt loam liners (no bentonite), permeability's on a whole- lagoon basis were about five times less than those measured from soil cores collected prior to the addition of waste. Results imply that permeability was reduced by organic sludge on the bottom of the lagoons. Field measurements showed that the organic sludge layer was 0.38 m (15 inches) thick in a four-year-old, swine-waste lagoon. Despite the low rates of seepage, calculations showed that subsurface ammonium-N losses from the bottom and sides of swine-waste lagoons could exceed 3000 kg/ha·yr (2,640 lbs./acre·yr) (Chapters 2 and 3). Over twenty years of operation, nitrogen losses at a 2-ha (5-acre) swine-waste lagoon could possibly exceed 110,000 kg (250,000 lbs.) Seepage losses of ammonium-N from cattle feedlot lagoons are much lower because the soluble nitrogen in the effluent is less concentrated. Soil cores were collected in a 6-m zone (20 ft.) beneath an eleven-year-old cattle feedlot lagoon that had been emptied, dried, and cleaned (i.e., sludge removed). Ammonium-N concentrations were near 400 mg/kg, or ppm, near the lagoon “floor” and then deceased rapidly with depth (Chapter 2). About 90 % of the nitrogen found beneath the lagoon was within 3.6 m (12 ft.) of the lagoon. No nitrate-nitrogen was found in any of the soil samples. Data show that ammonium-N, a positively charged ion, was being adsorbed by negatively charged soil particles (i.e., clay minerals). Soils with a large cation exchange capacity, (CEC, a measure of soil ion adsorptive capacity), can retard the movement of ammonium-N and decrease the risk of ground water contamination. However, ammonium-N is not stable and could convert to nitrate, especially if a lagoon is emptied and dried following abandonment or closure. Nitrate is a very mobile in the soil and could potentially move to deeper depths (toward ground water), especially in regions with high rainfall. Additional research is needed to determine the long-term fate of ammonium-N adsorbed by soil directly beneath lagoons. Best management practices should be developed for remediation and closure of lagoon sites. 4 and 5. Laboratory Studies of Soil Permeability and Computer Modeling. Laboratory and modeling studies were conducted to examine the leachability characteristics of compacted soil samples specific to Kansas, and to assess how the properties of a compacted soil liner may affect the movement of ammonium-N in waste seeping from earthen lagoons. Soils were compacted in permeameters in the laboratory and exposed to a lagoon effluent for 2 to 5 months in a leaching experiment (Chapter 4). The waste used was liquid from the upper portion of the lagoon, not the organic bottom-sludge. In some cases, the seepage rate through the soil samples decreased slightly over time. However, biological clogging from microbial exudates did not appear to be a significant factor affecting soil permeability. Data support the premise that the waste-induced reductions in permeability, often observed in these studies, is caused by physical clogging of the soil pores rather than by microbial action.