GB2381265A

GB2381265A - Treatment of excreta

Info

Publication number: GB2381265A
Application number: GB0219811A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Reginald Goodwin-Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-31
Filing date: 2002-08-23
Publication date: 2003-04-30
Also published as: GB0219811D0; GB0121227D0

Abstract

A formulation for use in the treatment of excreta. The formulation comprising copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium, and iodine. The copper may be present in elemental form, as a salt, or an oxide. The cobalt may be present as a salt or an oxide. The zinc, iodine and selenium may be present in the form of a salt. Also claimed is method of treating excreta by blending the exereta with a formulation comprising copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium, and iodine. A method of treating soil, pastures or grassland with the resultant blend is also claimed. Also claimed is a method of increasing the quantity of trace elements present in soil, pastures or grassland, by treating it with the blend. The present invention may alleviate the offensive odours caused by the removal of excreta from storage, or the formation of crusts by accumulation of solids in excreta slurry during storage.

Description

Treatment of Excreta The present'invention is concerned with a method of treating animal and human excreta, which may comprise faeces and/or urine.

Farmers of domestic livestock, in particular farmers of dairy and beef cattle are faced with the problem of safely storing large quantities of cattle excreta, which may be as slurry or in solid form. This excreta has to be subsequently removed from storage tanks, pits, lagoons or middens, typically by pumping, and then transported and spread onto farming land and grass land where it may be used as a fertilizer. In addition, there is a problem associated with solidified human excreta or sewage, as it has to be moved and treated, prior to it being suitable for use as a fertilizer.

The removal of such excreta from storage is often accompanied by offensive odours and by accumulation of solids into crusts on the surface of slurry. The formation of such crusts result in considerable expenditure of both time and energy in the agitation of the slurry with, for example, propellers. Furthermore, ammonia gas is given off by the slurry which results in the loss of fertilising properties as nitrogen is lost. Such excreta when spread on farmland may not be readily or rapidly absorbed by the soil microflora. This may result in loss of use of the land for extended periods.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to alleviate at least some of the disadvantages identified above.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a method of treatment of animal and human excreta.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a formulation for use in the treatment of animal and human excreta.

Accordingly, there is provided a formulation for use in the treatment of excreta, which formulation includes copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and iodine.

Domestic livestock and human excreta may include a thin paste, semi fluid mixture or the like.

The copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and/or iodine may be present as a salt, which is preferably soluble in water.

The copper may be present as a soluble salt (which is preferred), alternatively it may be in the form of an oxide, or as the material itself. It is particularly preferred that the copper is in the form of copper sulfate.

The cobalt may be present as a soluble salt (which is preferred), such as cobalt acetate (which is particularly preferred) or cobaltic sulphate. Alternatively the cobalt may be applied in the form of the oxide.

The zinc may be present as a soluble salt (which is preferred), such as zinc sulfate or zinc carbonate.

However, it is envisaged that the zinc may be present as the oxide.

The selenium may be present as a soluble salt (which is preferred) such as sodium selenate, or other aqueoussoluble selenates or selenites.

The iodine may be present as a soluble salt (which is preferred). A particularly preferred salt is potassium iodate.

The copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and/or iodine are typically dissolved in an aqueous carrier or diluent.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and iodine are present as an aqueous soluble salt.

Copper and zinc are particularly vital to the process of photosynthesis, the addition of these elements to the farm slurry (and subsequently to the soil) is therefore particularly advantageous. Copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and iodine all stimulate the action of soil microflora.

It is envisaged that the formulation may further include additives such as Molybdenum, manganese and/or magnesium.

The additives may be present in the formulation when analysis of the soil and/or pasture indicates that there is a deficiency of the additive.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of treating excreta, which method includes blending the excreta (which may be a slurry or solid), with a formulation including copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and iodine. The formulation is substantially as described hereinbefore.

Advantageously such treatment of slurry or similar semi liquid waste stored in tanks or lagoons substantially reduces the accumulation of solids and crusting or the like, thereby reducing the need for agitation, and reducing the escape of ammonia. In addition, the treated slurry

advantageously has a less offensive odour than non-treated slurry.

It is particularly preferred that the copper is in the form of an aqueous soluble salt, such as copper sulfate. The elemental copper is typically present in an amount of 125g to 250g per treated hectare of farmland.

Preferably, the cobalt is in the form of an aqueous soluble salt, such as cobalt acetate. The elemental cobalt is typically in an amount of 30g to 50g per treated hectare of farmland.

Preferably, the zinc is in the form of an aqueous soluble salt, such as zinc sulfate. The elemental zinc salt is typically present in an amount of 200g to 400g per treated hectare of farmland.

Preferably, the selenium is in the form of an aqueous soluble salt, such as sodium selenate. The elemental selenium salt is typically present in an amount from about lOg to 15g per treated hectare of farmland.

Preferably, the iodine in present as an aqueous soluble salt, such as potassium iodate. The iodine salt is typically present in an amount of from about 25g to about 40g per treated hectare of farmland.

Advantageously, the excreta may be applied to soil pastures and/or grassland.

Advantageously, use of such a formulation in the treatment of excreta results in a reduced smell when the material is spread over soil and/or pastures.

Therefore, the present invention extends to a method of treating soil, pastures grassland or the like, which method includes (a) blending excreta with a formulation including copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and iodine, and (b) applying the resultant blend from step (a) to the soil, pasture, grassland or the like.

The resultant blend formed in step (a) is typically applied about 5 to 20 weeks after the blending step.

The blended excreta and formulation is typically produced and stored such that a period of between 5 to 20 weeks elapses prior to the blend being applied to soil, pasture, grassland or the like. This advantageously permits microflora within the excreta to utilise the elements.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of increasing the quantity of a trace element in soil, pasture, grassland or the like, which method includes blending livestock and human excreta with the trace element (such as copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and/or iodine) and applying the resultant blend to the soil, pasture, grassland or the like.

The formulation including copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and iodine is substantially as described hereinbefore.

Claims

Claims 1. A formulation for use in the treatment of excreta, which formulation includes copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and iodine.
2. A formulation according to claim 1, wherein the copper is present as a salt (preferably a soluble salt), as an oxide, or in elemental form.
3. A formulation according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cobalt is present as a salt (preferably a soluble salt), such as cobalt acetate or cobalt sulphate, or in the form of an oxide.
4. A formulation according to any preceding claim, wherein the zinc is present as a salt (preferably a soluble salt), such as sodium selenate.
5. A formulation according to any preceding claim, wherein the iodine is present as a salt (which is preferably soluble), such as potassium iodate.
6. A formulation according to any preceding claim, wherein the zinc is present as a salt (which is preferably soluble).
7. A formulation according to any preceding claim, wherein the copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and/or iodine are dissolved in an aqueous carrier or diluent.
8. A formulation according to any preceding claim wherein the copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and/or iodine are present as an aqueous soluble salt.

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9. A formulation according to any preceding claim, which further includes additives such as molybdenum, manganese and/or magnesium.
10. A method of treating excreta, which method includes blending the excreta with a formulation including copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and iodine.
11. A method of treating soil, pastures grassland or the like, which method includes (a) blending excreta with a formulation including copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and iodine, and (b) applying the resultant blend from step (a) to the soil, pasture, grassland or the like.
12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the resultant blend from step (a) is stored for between 5 and 20 weeks prior to being applied to the soil, pasture, grassland or the like.
13. A method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the cobalt is present in an amount of from 30g to 50g per treated hectare of soil, pasture, grassland or the like.
14. A method according to any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the zinc is present in an amount of from 200g to 400g per treated hectare of soil, pasture, grassland or the like.
15. A method according to any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the copper is present in an amount of 125g to 250g per treated hectare of soil, pasture, grassland or the like.

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16. A method according to any of claims 11 to 15, wherein the selenium is present in an amount of 2. 0g to 4. 0g per treated hectare of soil, pasture, grassland or the like.
17. A method according to any of claims 11 to 16, wherein the iodine is present in an amount from 25g to 40g per treated hectare of farmland.
18. A method of increasing the quantity of a trace element in soil, pasture, grassland or the like, which method includes blending livestock and human excreta with the trace element (such as copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium and/or iodine) and applying the resultant blend to the soil, pasture, grassland or the like.