--> Abstract: Nitrous Oxide Solubility in Animal Waste Suspensions, by Konstantinos C. Makris, Syam S. Andra, Dibyendu Sarkar, Stephan B. Bach, Conor Mullens, and Rupali Datta; #90078 (2008)

Datapages, Inc.Print this page

Nitrous Oxide Solubility in Animal Waste Suspensions

Konstantinos C. Makris1, Syam S. Andra1, Dibyendu Sarkar1, Stephan B. Bach2, Conor Mullens2, and Rupali Datta1
1Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory, Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
2Chemistry, Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a greenhouse gas and regulator of atmospheric ozone that has received much attention due to its potential contribution to global climate change. Nitrification and denitrification processes occurring in animal waste and waste-amended soils regulate the anthropogenic N2O emissions into the atmosphere. Although several factors (pH, moisture, temperature, nitrate concentrations, etc.) may be controlling N2O emissions, little is known about N2O supersaturation of animal waste suspensions and its effects on the magnitude of N2O emissions. The objectives of this study were to: i) determine the degree of potential N2O supersaturation in poultry litter suspensions, and ii) investigate the physical and/or chemical conditions involved in the accumulation of N2O in solution. Poultry litter suspensions prepared in variable moisture contents under aerobic and anaerobic conditions were equilibrated in the lab. A temperature equilibration protocol followed by a headspace GC-MS analysis was adapted to determine N2O concentrations in the solution/headspace. Results are being examined in light of the conditions controlling the potential N2O supersaturation of poultry litter suspensions and subsequent N2O mitigation efforts.

 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90078©2008 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas