Effect of Aeration Rate on the Quality of Bio-Urine Produced from Cattle Urine Fermentation in an Aerobic Bioreactor
Abstract
The utilization of cattle urine as a raw material for liquid organic fertilizer has strong potential to support sustainable agriculture through the optimization of aerobic fermentation using a bioreactor system. This study aimed to analyze the effect of aeration rate on the quality of bio urine produced. The fermentation process was conducted for 15 days in a 1100 L aerobic bioreactor with three aeration rate treatments of 48, 60, and 90 L/h. The main parameters evaluated included pH, biological oxygen demand (BOD), C/N ratio, microbial population, and macro-nutrient contents (N, P, and K). The results showed that increasing the aeration rate accelerated the reduction of BOD and C/N ratio while maintaining pH stability throughout the fermentation process. The aeration rate of 90 L/h produced bio urine with a C/N ratio below 15, the lowest BOD value, and stable pH, indicating the highest level of fermentation maturity and chemical stability. Under this condition, macro-nutrient contents reached 0.25% N, 0.10% P, and 0.42% K, accompanied by a stable microbial population during the final fermentation phase. Therefore, an aeration rate of 90 L/h was determined as the optimal condition based on fermentation maturity indicators (C/N ratio, BOD, and pH) and improved efficiency of organic matter mineralization.
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