Wood ash filter to remove contaminants from rainwater destined for poultry farming

Abstract

Water availability and quality directly affect poultry farming since it is used for both animal consumption and equipment. Rainwater collected and stored on the property is an alternative to ensure better use of water re-sources. However, to obtain potable water for animal consumption, the raw water must first be treated. As such, this study aimed to assess the use of a wood ash filter to remove contaminants from rainwater. The ash comes from wood burned as fuel in industrial boilers to generate steam. The pilot filter was designed using wood ash, sand and crushed stone, the last two with particle sizes between 0.42 and 2.00 mm and 6.30 and 16.00 mm, respectively. The rainwater used was collected directly from the roof of an aviary on a property in western Santa Catarina state. Analyses indicated that the proposed filtering system resulted in average reductions of 86% in turbidity, over 95% in apparent color, 86% in total coliforms and 90% in Escherichia coli. The inability to remove nitrates disqualifies wood ash as a means of filtering rainwater for use in animal feed.