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TECHNICAL REPORTS

Atmospheric Pollutants and Trace Gases

Methane Oxidation in Slurry Storage Surface Crusts

^a Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
^b Institute of Agricultural, Environmental and Energy Engineering, University of Agricultural Sciences, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
^c GSF-Research Center for Environment and Health GmbH, Institute of Soil Ecology, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany

^* Corresponding author (soren.o.petersen{at}agrsci.dk)

Received for publication September 6, 2004. Livestock manure is a significant source of atmospheric methane (CH₄), especially during liquid storage. In liquid manure (slurry) storages a surface crust may form naturally, or an artificial surface crust can be established. We investigated whether there is a potential for CH₄ oxidation in this environment. Surface crust materials were sampled from experimental storages with cattle slurry (with natural crust) or anaerobically digested cattle slurry (with straw layer) that had been stored with or without a wooden cover. Extracts of surface crust material were incubated with 5.6% CH₄ in the headspace, and methanotrophic activity was demonstrated in all four treatments following a 4- to 10-d lag phase. Subsequent incubation of field-moist surface crust material with 350 µL L^–1 CH₄ also showed CH₄ oxidation, indicating a potential for CH₄ removal under practical storage conditions. There was no CH₄ oxidation activity during incubation of autoclaved samples. Methane oxidation rates were 0.1 to 0.5 mg kg^–1 organic matter (OM) h^–1, which is comparable with the activity in wetlands and rice paddies. Partial drying increased CH₄ oxidation to 0.2 to 1.4 mg kg^–1 OM h^–1, probably as a result of improved diffusivity within the surface crust. Rewetting reversed the stimulation of methanotrophic activity in some treatments, but not in others, possibly due to a decline in CH₄ production in anaerobic volumes, or to growth of methanotrophs during incubation. This study presents direct evidence for methanotrophic activity in slurry storages. Measures to ensure crust formation with or without a solid cover appear to be a cost-effective greenhouse gas mitigation option.

Abbreviations: CFU, colony-forming units • DCS, digested cattle slurry stored with (DCS_C) or without (DCS₀) cover • EC, electrical conductivity • OM, organic matter • UCS, untreated cattle slurry stored with (UCS_C) or without (UCS₀) cover

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