Life cycle inventory for an organic swine waste treatment system

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the efficiency of a system of treatment of organic swine waste as a management tool in the transformation of organic waste into products of value in the swine industry. The residues from the pig farm and the products obtained (compost, biol and biogas) were quantified and characterized, as were the energy used within the process and the distribution of the products. The negative impacts on the soil and adjacent river, as well as the efficiency of the compost as fertilizers and biol in grass and corn crops, were evaluated. The subsystems were: S1-slurry separation, S2-anaerobic digestion, S3-composting solid fraction of slurry, and S4-composting of dead tissues. S2 was not efficient in obtaining biol, with COD and TSS required. The process requires 31.1 kW/d of electrical energy and 3.22 L/d of diesel. The biogas (35,486.0 m3/d) is used for cooking food and heating houses, whilst the compost (82 kg/d) and biol (7.72 m3/d) replace inorganic fertilizers in crops. The system was adequate for the transformation of 38,109.0 kg/d of waste into valuable products. The biol needs further treatment time or to couple biodigesters-another treatment. The pig farm can be considered eco-efficient.