Electrolytic deodorization of hog manure

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Offensive odors from intensive hog operations are the subject of increasingly adverse public attention.  In particular, land disposal produces a fine spray of manure with great potential for release of odorous reduced nitrogen and sulfur compounds to the atmosphere.  These compounds are formed in the mammalian gut and the liquid manure tank, both of which are anoxic environments where anaerobic bacteria thrive by reducing oxidized organic compounds.  Although the odor compounds can be oxidized to less pungent substances, purging the liquid manure tank with air is insufficient to achieve and maintain oxygenated conditions because of the high bacterial load and biological oxygen demand.  We have previously demonstrated "proof of concept" at the laboratory scale that the odor of hog manure can be mitigated by electrolysis (passage of an electric current). The purpose of the proposed research is to develop a pilot plant with the following objectives.  1. Use of electrolysis to mitigate the offensive odour of hog manure by a combination of chemical attack on the odour compounds and the bactericidal action of an electric current (a phenomenon known as electroporation)  2. Study of different anode materials to achieve optimum properties of energy efficiency, ruggedness, long life, and cost.