Method of treating agricultural lagoons in confined animal feeding operations

摘要

An agricultural lagoon and manure treatment system to maintain the lagoon and lagoon water in a more useable condition through the use of sulfuric acid to treat the system components of confined animal feeding operations, including the lagoon. Relatively pure sulfuric acid is controllably released from a storage tank, through an injection pump and into the fluid line transporting recirculation water from the lagoon to flush livestock alleys and maintain the pH of the lagoon fluid at approximately 6.5 to 7.0. A sulfuric acid injection pump injects the sulfuric acid into the fluid line through a fluid injector at a rate necessary to maintain the lagoon fluid in the desired pH range. The fluid injector injects the acid at or near the center of the water stream in the fluid line. The rate of sulfuric acid injected is determined by checking the pH of the water downstream of the injection point, such as at the flush alleys, with a hand-held, portable pH meter. Alternatively, sulfuric acid can be added to the lagoon at the point where manure enters the lagoon to directly treat the lagoon or the acid can be added to a fluid discharge line that is connected to the lagoon to deliver lagoon water to an irrigation system for irrigating agricultural crops.