Hydrogen Sulfide - Liquid Manure - Manure Storage

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H₂S Control for Liquid Manure Storage Practices - Aeration

Pro	Con
Keeps the environment aerobic (less odor than anaerobic conditions)	Could emit more gases (particularly ammonia) during the aeration process

Because hydrogen sulfide results from anaerobic processes, strategies to supply oxygen and maintain an aerobic environment can be effective in controlling the formation and emission of hydrogen sulfide. Capital investment and operating costs are considerable ($2.00 - $4.00 per pig marketed or $3,000 to $6,000 per aerator; often, more than one aerator needed). Selection and size of an aerator or aeration system is critical to obtain the desired performance, so a consultant needs to be involved in the decision-making and planning processes. Systems that aerate only the top portion of manure storages, which reduce costs, are under evaluation.

Aeration Lagoon Aeration, by design, incorporates oxygen into the manure storage. Most commonly, mixing of the manure is used to introduce oxygen. During this process, nitrogen is volatilized to the atmosphere, primarily as ammonia. Therefore, aeration, although effective for decreasing hydrogen sulfide, can increase ammonia emission.

Extension Publications

PM 1972a Practices to Reduce Hydrogen Sulfide from Livestock Operations (pdf)
PM 1972b Practices to Reduce Hydrogen Sulfide from Livestock Operations Flowchart (pdf)
EDC 162h Air Quality and Animal Agriculture (pdf)
PM 1936 Air Quality Resources for Iowa Animal Agriculture (pdf)
PM 1935 Gaseous Emissions from Animal Agriculture (pdf)
PM 1754b Iowa Odor Control Demonstration Project-Aeration (pdf)

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