ERC researchers are involved in key areas of emerging issues for animal agriculture, particularly with respect to concentrated animal feed operations (CAFO), including odor control related to organic and inorganic chemicals, waste-to-energy (e.g., methane and hydrogen) development, waste-to-product (e.g., struvite) development, and control and antibiotic and resistant organisms.

The animal agriculture industry in under extreme pressure due to issues related to the release of volatile compounds, medicinal and steroidal compounds, particulates and nutrients. The ERC is working closely with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the livestock industry to develop cost effective solutions to issues that will allow the animal agriculture industry to prosper and grow with the state.

                                                    Current Projects in the ERC:  

ERC researchers are working closely with the State of Missouri to address environmental, nuisance and potential health problems stemming from the state’s animal production industry. The Department of Agriculture requested input on addressing lingering problems, leading to a number of initiatives   The Burken research group has optimized at laboratory scale the recovery of nutrients from livestock manure in the form of struvite, a crystalline magnesium-ammonia-phosphate solid that is a concentrated form of the nutrients. These nutrients are a top concern as the excess load is a top water quality concern in Missouri and throughout the agricultural Midwest. This waste-to-product technology will allow significant reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of streams in Missouri, while creating a valuable product from livestock (especially swine) waste. (Sponsor: USEPA)

• The Adams/Mormile research group is developing technology for the simultaneous removal of pathogens, anti-biotic resistant organisms, and antibiotics from wastewater slurry discharged into lagoons at livestock operations, and then periodically applied to surrounding crop fields. The aim of this work is to develop the means to prevent the release and spread of antibiotic resistance in pathogens that is making human (and veterinary) antibiotics increasingly ineffective. (Sponsor: USEPA) (See Macauley et al., 2006)
  
  
• The Fitch/Morrison research group examined the formation and control of gas-phase organic and inorganic compounds at concentrated animal feed operations (CAFO). The group studied lagoon covers and barn odor treatment technologies, including biofilters. (Sponsor: USEPA)
  
  
• The Burken/Mormile research group worked to evaluate odor production from open lagoons, commonly used at small to medium scale confined animal feed operations (CAFOs). Lagoons producing malodor were managed differently than functional lagoons (far less odor generation) and the impacts of mis-management were observable in the microbial populations present and active, as determined using molecular methods. The impacts were apparently related to overload conditions and poor solids management. (Sponsor: USEPA).
  
  
• The Burken/Morrison research group conducted work indicating that the low rate of mixing leads to optimized microbial consortia, improved treatment and thereby resulted in minimal odor production. A new research project, funded by USGS, is initiated to further investigate this process.
  
  
• The Adams/Mormile research group examined the fate and effects of veterinary antibiotics used at CAFOs in Missouri. The work showed that certain classes of antibiotics tend to degrade while others persist in lagoons, and that certain classes of antibiotics tend to remain in the mobile phase, while others are immobilized on particles. The work demonstrated that antibiotics at typical concentrations can have a significant negative impact on the anaerobic treatment effectiveness of treatment lagoons used at CAFOs, and the reduction of antibiotics in lagoons would allow much more effective treatment. (Sponsor: USEPA) (See Loftin et al., 2005.)