Laura Page Master's Defense Ecological Sciences and Engineering Agricultural and Biological Engineering Effect of anaerobic dairy manure co-digestion and effluent solid separation on volatile fatty acids during manure storage Wednesday, February 20, 2013 1:00 PM ABE, Room 212 Abstract Volatile fatty acids (VFA) are among the most abundant organic compounds found in animal manure and act as important intermediates in the production of methane under anaerobic digestion (AD). However, VFA also contribute to odor emissions from manure. Anaerobic digestion and separation of solids may help to reduce odor pollution during manure storage and subsequent land application. Little information about the characteristics and concentrations of VFA in dairy manure related to AD is available. This thesis presents the results of VFA production during two three-month storage studies of dairy manure collected from four different sources on a dairy: a dairy barn (raw), the inlet of an anaerobic digester (influent), the digester outlet (effluent), and the effluent following solids separation (effluent SS). Significant temporal and spatial variations in VFA concentrations were observed in both studies. Results showed AD significantly reduced the formation of VFA in the effluent, and additional reductions occurred from separation of solids. This study revealed that the complexity of VFA characteristics made it difficult to reliably model and predict the concentrations and compositions of VFA in dairy manure. Thank you, Christal Musser Program Coordinator Ecological Sciences and Engineering Interdisciplinary Graduate Program Purdue University Young Hall, Room B-40 155 S. Grant Street West Lafayette, IN 47907 765-494-2102 musser@purdue.edu<mailto:musser@purdue.edu> http://www.purdue.edu/ese<http://www.purdue.edu/dp/ese>