Diversion From Land Disposal Of Nutrients Recovered From Non-MPP Processing Plant Wastewater To Value-Added Use In Multi-Spec. Feed Rations

Non-Meat and Poultry Product (Non-MPP) food processing plants manage their effluent to satisfy environmental regulations concerning waste discharge. Currently, many non-MPP plants mechanically screen out large pieces of organic material (biosolids) that are processed for use as livestock feed. However, minute biosolids in liquid suspension collected from the food plant's effluent are generally disposed of by land application or by land filling due to contamination by chemicals used to flocculate the biosolids out of the wastewater. APS previously demonstrated the technical and economic feasibility of using PFC, a new flocculation compound, across a broad spectrum of non-MPP food processing industry segments to recover from non-MPP plant processing/waste water unadulterated digestible nutrients useable as livestock feed. The first objective of this project is to determine the actual cost impact of utilizing PFC under full-plant operating conditions to collect significant amounts of biosolids from the processing/waste water generated from a select number of non-MPP food processing plants. The second objective of this project is to conduct livestock feeding trials to determine the impact on growth performance and feed efficiency from utilizing the PFC-collected biosolids as significant inputs in test rations. The third objective of this project is to conduct tissue and bone analysis from a cross-section of test animals to evaluate the retention by these animals of the residual chemical components of PFC contained in the test diet. APS will temporarily modify the processing/waste water treatment system at each targeted non-MPP food processing plant to allow for the treatment of the effluent with PFC in a manner that will allow for the recovery of the biosolids contained in liquid suspension and to record the necessary input and output parameters to satisfy objective one. The recovered biosolids will be utilized in university-based and monitored feeding trials required to satisfy objective two. The research conducted at the targeted non-MPP food processing operations is expected to show that the use of PFC is both practical and cost effective. In addition, the follow-on livestock feeding trials are expected to show no significant negative impact to growth performance or feed efficiency from utilizing PFC-collected biosolids as part of a properly designed and nutrient-balanced feed ration. Finally, analysis of the bone and tissue samples from the feed test animals required to satisfy objective three is expected to show no significant uptake of any residual PFC chemical components that may be found in the test diets. This project is expected to show the use of PFC in the recovery of nutrient-rich biosolids from processing/waste water generated at non-MPP food processing facilities can be cost effective and will produce low cost and/or cost competitive unadulterated feed ingredients usable in livestock feeding programs. Finally, a byproduct of the successful diversion of valuable nutrients from waste disposal to a value-added use is the environmental benefit of eliminating or reducing a significant and costly waste stream.