Cycling of Geotube Solids from Dairy Lagoons Through Turfgrass Sod.

摘要

The Geotube Dewatering System (Miratech Division of Ten Cate Nicolon Corporation; Commerce, Ga.) collects manure solids or sludge from wastewater in large, porous tubes or socks made of synthetic fibers. Alum (aluminum sulfate) and polymers are injected into wastewater during pumping from lagoons into the socks to facilitate particle flocculation as water drains out of the tube through pores in the fabric. Solids are trapped inside the sock (0440 ft3), or Geotube, while water drains from socks and is collected in a secondary lagoon. The injection of aluminum or other metal salts and/or polymers enhances separation of solids from lagoon wastewater and retention of particulate forms of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and other nutrients within socks compared to wastewater filtering without chemical treatments (Worley et al. 2008). The use of chemical treatments also enhances water flow through porous Geotube walls and improves system efficiency ultimately resulting in reduced total solids in wastewater by 93.5%, soluble P by 85%, and total P by 96% (Mukhtar et al. 2007).