Environmental and regulatory concerns are causing confined animal feeding operations (CAFO's) to account for phosphorous content when applying wastewater to agricultural fields for disposal. In most cases this requires more land to spread the waste onto so that the phosphorous needs of the crop are not exceeded. A mobile process...
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972
prohibits the discharge of seafood processing solid wastes into
navigable waters after July 1, 1977. Oregon shrimp and crab processors
must use other methods of disposal for the 15 to 30 million
pounds of solid waste generated annually. The application of...
Algae have shown great potential as a source for renewable fuels. However, current production schemes have not been able to prove a sustainable energy return on investment due in part to the high costs of nutrient addition and the energy required for drying the biomass. Integrated algae-dairy production systems have...
Application of sewage sludge to soils increases the trace metal
content and the organic content of soils. The complexation of indigenous and added metals with organic constituents must be studied to
evaluate metal availability to plants and animals.
The water soluble organic fractions (WSOF) from an agricultural
soil (W), a...
Modification of microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) by altering the sizes of the anode and the cathode, or their interaction with the liquid stream affects the performance of the MEC, but it remains difficult to quantify how much each change will contribute to the overall performance. Through this study, a method...
Effective combustion of waste fuels requires an
understanding of the fuels characteristics. Gaseous and
particulate emissions, ash residues and combustion
properties are of interest to many; those that produce and
sell heating units, utilities interested in using the fuels
for power generation, regulatory agencies, municipalities
needing to solve a disposal...
The use of municipal refuse (RDF) as fuels has
received widespread attention for reason of its energy
equivalence and the increasing lack of available landfill
sites. The principal obstacle to the construction of combustion
facilities is that RDF produces toxic compounds,
including heavy metals and such organic compounds as PCDD...
An experimental biomass combustion facility has been
built and established at Oregon State University. The
furnace, or Biomass Combustion Unit ( BCU ), uses an augertype
fuel feed system, grate-type fuel support with under
and over fire air supply.
Fourteen pellet species from five States - Alaska,
Washington, Oregon, Idaho,...
This investigation explored the use of microcosms as a tool for
studying the dynamics of tropical aquaculture ponds. The potential use
of rabbit excreta as a pond fertilizer in integrated farming systems was
also investigated.
Twelve insulated fiber glass tanks were utilized as microcosms to
simulate earthen ponds. Seven hand-sexed...
Traditionally, livestock operations were small and combined with cropping operations. This allowed farms to be self-sustaining because nutrients were constantly recycled on the farm. Since the Haber-Bosch chemical process was patented, crop farmers turn to industrial fertilizers when soils nutrients are depleted. Animal and plant operations diverged, functionally separated, and...
The effect of incorporated sawdust, sawdust mulch and nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate on soil nutrients and other properties, N uptake, and plant growth in a young blueberry planting on a silt loam soil type was studied in 2004 and 2005. ‘Elliott’ highbush blueberry plants were established on raised beds that...