This laboratory column (125 cm high, 15 cm diameter) research investigated solids and P removal from liquid swine manure amended with calcium carbonate, magnesium sulphate, alum and polyacrylamide (PAM). Results showed that PAM was the most effective amendment for enhancing solids removal from manure containing 1% initial total solids (TS). The effectiveness of PAM was lower at 5% and 8% than at 1% due to resuspension of solids occurring at settling times beyond 4 h. After 24 h of settling, P removal from non-amended manure was comparable to that in amended manure and decreased with TS concentration for all amendments except alum, which was equally effective at all TS concentrations. These results indicate that, for manure containing 1% TS, P can be adequately removed by gravity separation without addition of chemical amendments while alum is a more effective amendment for removing P from manure containing higher (5% and 8%) TS.

This laboratory column (125 cm high, 15 cm diameter) research investigated solids and P removal from liquid swine manure amended with calcium carbonate, magnesium sulphate, alum and polyacrylamide (PAM). Results showed that PAM was the most effective amendment for enhancing solids removal from manure containing 1% initial total solids (TS). The effectiveness of PAM was lower at 5% and 8% than at 1% due to resuspension of solids occurring at settling times beyond 4 h. After 24 h of settling, P removal from non-amended manure was comparable to that in amended manure and decreased with TS concentration for all amendments except alum, which was equally effective at all TS concentrations. These results indicate that, for manure containing 1% TS, P can be adequately removed by gravity separation without addition of chemical amendments while alum is a more effective amendment for removing P from manure containing higher (5% and 8%) TS.