Pro-Act’s System Further Validated by University Research  

Warren , RI , January 22, 2008 --- Research done by Dr. Jun Zhu of the University of Minnesota shows that surface aeration “provides an effective and affordable means of handling odors in lagoons”.  This research further validates the effectiveness of Pro-Act Microbial’s manure treatment system which not only aerates lagoons/storage tanks, but also treats the manure, resulting in even greater benefits to the farm and the environment.  

The Minnesota study, done at a 4,800-head, grow-finish operation, lowered the odor detection threshold (ODT) from the initial 3,000 to 1,200.  The odor detection threshold is the basis for olfactometry analysis. Pro-Act Microbial specializes in animal manure treatment.  One of its products, the Pro-Act Microbial Treatment System, includes a patented surface air diffuser which works just like the apparatus used in the University of Minnesota study by oxygenating the surface layer of the lagoon which creates an odor cap.  But Pro-Act’s system goes even further by including naturally occurring microbes and growth factors that help the farm manage the manure and its nutrients.  The system has helped dairy as well as hog farmers around the country.  

Unlike the aerator apparatus used in the study, the efficiency of Pro-Act’s surface air diffuser is so high that only ½ to 1 hp is needed for one acre of surface area. In addition to the diffuser, Pro-Act system’s other components enhance the manure treatment by turning a manure lagoon into a digester. At the bottom of the lagoon, anaerobic digestion takes place to mineralize organic material to carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, etc., while at the surface of the lagoon, carbon dioxide is produced from the oxidization of many of the odorous organic compounds. The farm is left with less odor, less solids requiring less agitation, and easily manageable nutrients that are stratified into accessible layers for use on growing crops.  In fact, the nutrient value is much improved over that of untreated manure.   

“The community and environment as a whole also benefits from a greener farm that smells better and can manage its nutrients with much less risk of leaching into the ground water,” explains Bill Campion, president of Pro-Act Microbial.  

Although surface lagoon aeration is not new technology, combining it with microbes and growth factors makes Pro-Act’s system unique in the manure management industry.  

About Pro-Act Microbial, Inc.

Pro-Act Microbial, the leading supplier of bio-augmentation products, provides highly effective waste treatment systems for the concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), food waste and the aquaculture industries.  The Pro-Act systems treat and stabilize animal waste, making it farmer and environmentally friendly by reducing TSS, BOD, viscosity and odor.  The patented treatment systems are energy efficient and provide an excellent opportunity for methane collection and nutrient management while transforming animal waste to a gentle, fast-acting fertilizer.   

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