Degree of air pollution due to the effect of cattle excreta during the generation of biogas

Authors

Principe-Garrampie, Walter C.

Quillos-Ruiz, Serapio A.

Escalante-Espinoza, Nelver J.

Figueroa-León, Rubén A.

Abstract

In this research work, the degree of contamination produced by the excreta of dairy cows in a stable in the Isla Blanca sector, Pampa la Grama town center, in the town of Santa was determined. Using a home-made batch biodigester, a 20 kg sample of fresh excreta was analyzed for 45 days, calculating from the pressure data and the biodigester volume characteristics, the amount of biogas generated. The composition of this biogas was then determined by analysis, finding that 59% corresponds to CH4, 38.5% to CO2 and 2.5% to other gases. From these values, the mass of methane (2.9408 g) and the mass of carbon dioxide (5.265726 g) generated by the sample were calculated. These values were mathematically generalized for the excreta accumulated during one day and then by superposition of values for all the biomass of the barn, considering the lag in degradation between the excreta from one day to the next. Finally, the concentrations of both gases considered were determined in the air of the room. The analysis was done by three different methods, which yielded relatively small concentration values, concluding that the degree of air pollution from cattle excreta is not really considerable.