Innovative technology for ammonia abatement from livestock buildings using advanced oxidation processes

Abstract

The feasibility of using advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for abatement of ammonia from livestock buildings was exam ined in a series of pilot plant experiments. In this study, all the experiments were conducted in a two-step unit containing a dry photolytic reactor (UV185/UV254/O3) and a photochemical scrubber (UV254/H2O2). The unit efciency was tested for two initial ammonia concentrations (20 and 35 ppmv) and three diferent air fows (150, 300 and 450 m3 ·h−1). While the frst step removes mainly organic pollutants that are often present together with ammonia in the air and ammonia only partially, the second step removes around 90% of ammonia emissions even at the highest fow rate of 450 m3 ·h−1. Absorbed ammonia in the aqueous phase can be efectively removed without adjusting the pH (i.e. without the addition of other additives) using UV and ozone. Complete removal of ammonia was achieved after 15 h of irradiation. In order to assess the price efciency of the suggested technology and to be able to compare it with other methods the fgures-of-merit were determined. The price needed for lowering ammonia emission by one order of magnitude is 0.002 € per cubic meter of treated air at the highest fow rate of 450 m3 ·h−1 and for initial ammonia concentrations of 20 ppmv. These fndings demonstrate that AOPs are a promising method for ammonia abatement from livestock buildings which are rarely using any waste air treatment method.