Occurrence, fate and effects of pharmaceutical substances in the environment- A review

The poultry industry is one of the largest and fastest growing agro-based industries in the world. This can be attributed to an increasing demand for poultry meat and egg products. However, a major problem facing the poultry industry is the large-scale accumulation of wastes including manure and litter which may pose disposal and pollution problems unless environmentally and economically sustainable management technologies are evolved. Most of the litter produced by the poultry industry is currently applied to agricultural land as a source of nutrients and soil amendment. However environmental pollution, resulting from nutrient and contaminant leaching can occur when poultry litter is applied under soil and climatic conditions that do not favour agronomic utilisation of the manure-borne nutrients. This review examines the composition of poultry litter in relation to nutrient content and environmental contaminants, its value as a nutrient source, soil amendment, animal feed and fuel source, and cost-effective innovative technologies for improving its value. Poultry litter provides a major source of nitrogen, phosphorus and trace elements for crop production and is effective in improving physical and biological fertility, indicating that land application remains as the main option for the utilisation of this valuable resource. The alternative use of poultry litter; as an animal feed and fuel source, is limited by contaminants, and high moisture content, respectively. The review proposes best management practices to mitigate environmental consequences associated with air and water quality parameters that are impacted by land application in order to maintain the continued productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the poultry industry.

https://www.poultryu.umn.edu/sites/poultryu.umn.edu/files/uses_and_mgmt_of_poultry_litter.pdf

Uses and management of poultry litter.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the development of management programs that meet the increasing demand for poultry products, while minimizing the environmental effects of poultry wastes on soils, crops, surface waters, and groundwaters. A description of the types and compositions of poultry wastes, and a review of recent research addressing the agricultural and environmental aspects of poultry waste management are discussed in the chapter. Effective environmental management of any poultry waste begins with an understanding of its composition and the physical, chemical, and microbiological reactions that control the fate of potential pollutants in the waste following land application. The three most common poultry wastes are poultry manure or poultry litter, dissolved air flotation (DAF) sludge originating from poultry processing plants, and composts produced from hatchery wastes and dead birds. The major poultry production operations include broiler chickens, turkeys, and eggs. Two types of confinement housing are commonly used for poultry operations: caged pit systems and floor/litter systems. Land application of animal waste is an important management practice to recycle nutrients, to improve or maintain soil fertility, and to improve soil biological and physical properties. The components of an effective waste management program for the agricultural use of organic wastes include site selection; production and collection; storage, handling, and treatment; transfer and application; and utilization.

Poultry Waste Management: Agricultural and Environmental Issues

Environmental impacts of on-farm poultry waste disposal - a review.

The availability of soyabean meal for animal feed use in Asia and the Pacific is low. The potential usefulness of a wide variety of protein-rich plant materials which could replace soyabean meal in...

J. C. Taylor

Papers

Recycling Animal Waste as a Feedstuff: A Review