Cow manure can now be turned into clean water since the development of a new technology, Researchers at Michigan State University said.
The technology, known as the McLanahan Nutrient Separation System, has proved to be a breakthrough, Press Trust of India reported.
It takes an anaerobic digester a contraption that takes waste, such as manure, and produces energy as a byproduct and couples it with an ultra-filtration, air stripping and a reverse osmosis system.
The result producing water clean enough for livestock to drink, or, at the very least, to dispose of in an environmentally friendly manner, researchers said.
"If you have 1,000 cows on your operation, they produce about 10 million gallons of manure a year," said Steve Safferman, an associate professor of bio-systems and agricultural engineering who is involved in the project.
"About 90 percent of the manure is water but it contains large amounts of nutrients, carbon and pathogens that can have an environmental impact if not properly managed," Safferman said.
Although turning the manure into clean water is hugely beneficial to the environment, the team also is conducting research on how it can make good financial sense for farmers.
"Here in Michigan we have a tendency to take water for granted," Safferman said. "But out west, for example, where drought remains an issue, the accessibility of clean water could make the difference between a farm remaining viable or going out of business," Safferman added.
The process "goes beyond a typical digester," said Jim Wallace, a former MSU student who earned his doctorate under the direction of Safferman and William Bickert, former professor of agricultural engineering.
It does this by extracting nutrients from the manure that can be harmful to the environment and can be re-used as fertilizer, according to PTI.
"For example, we're able to capture a large percentage of the ammonia that would otherwise be lost in the atmosphere. Ammonia is a negative from an air-quality standpoint," said Wallace, who now works for the McLanahan Corp, which is working to develop the technology.
About 50 gallons of water is being produced from 100 gallons of manure through the current system. The goal, however, is to increase the amount to about 65 gallons, Wallace said.
The Nutrient Separation System is expected be ready for commercialization by the end of this year.
