Ammonia emissions from composting animal wastes in reactors and wind rows

Composting separated solids in non-agitated reactors (60 I of substrate) with forced aeration could result in low ammonia volatilization, if air supply is close to the demand of microorganisms and the C/N-ratio is wide enough. The importance of influencing factors for ammonia emissions is evaluated. Microbial heat can be used to a large extent to sanitize the substrate or at least to reduce densities of indicator and test organisms remarkably. Compared to the results in laboratory scale, the tower reactor (24 m(3)) reinfected due to inadequate air and substrate flow the composted material. For determining ammonia emissions from windrows a special measuring system has been developed. The pile was covered by a fleece tunnel to protect against precipitation and to establish constant air flow conditions. In composted excrements, ammoniacal nitrogen is biologically fixed in biomass against volatilization and leaching.