Changes in Toxicity of Poultry Litter on Treatment with Montmorillonite. (A05-gupta160746-poster)
Authors:
W. Gardner* - University of Maryland Eastern Shore G. Gupta - Univ. of Maryland Eastern Shore
Abstract:
Poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) production is an important component in the agricultural economy of the United States. Poultry litter is a byproduct of poultry production systems and is considered a valuable fertilizer. The geographical concentration of poultry production on the Delmarva Peninsula has given rise to serious waste management issues. Aqueous poultry litter leachate is toxic both to Microtox (Photobacterium phosphoreum) and Ceriodaphnia assays. Sources of toxicity within poultry litter include ammonia, anionic organic compounds and heavy metals. Clay mineral (montmorillonite) has been used as a binding agent for heavy metals and other contaminants due to its large surface area and high cation exchange capacity. The objective of this research is to measure the changes in toxicity of poultry litter leachate on the addition of montmorillonite using the Microtox toxicity assay. Results show the toxicity (EC50) of poultry litter leachate to be 2.6 g/L. The addition of montmorillonite (0.05g) significantly (P=0.05) reduced the overall toxicity of poultry litter leachate to 3.0 g/L. Increasing montmorillonite concentration to 0.1g and 0.2g further reduced the leachate toxicity to 3.5 g/L and 3.9g/L, respectively.
Speaker Information: Gian Gupta, Univ. of Maryland Eastern Shore, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 21853; Phone: 410-651-6030; E-mail: [email protected]
Session Information: Monday, November 3, 2003, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM Presentation Start: 4:00 PM (Poster Board Number: 123)
Keywords: Poultry Litter; Toxicity; Montmorillonite; Heavy Metals
