I guess the rule is arsenic in, arsenic out. In other words, digestate can't contain any more arsenic than the raw chicken manure, so AD cannot make the problem any worse - if it exists at all. The concn might be higher, because the volume is less - but that's a red herring.
The best approach to these scaremongers is to ask the source of their info - then evaluate it critically. Often it's just internet gossip. And even if the info is sound, it might well be specific to a particular farm with odd local conditions or feed sources - or perhaps a specific medication added to the feed. I'm no expert on chickens but arsenic (at above trace background levels) doesn't sound like a likely feed additive. Would the chickens be fit to eat? Duncan J Martin PhD Clouhgjordan Ecovillage Ireland On 15 June 2011 14:11, Steven Bolgiano <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Group, > I overheard one of our more local strident activists, when asked about AD > for poultry comment that the by-product compost from poultry digesters > contained significant amounts of arsenic. > > Can anyone comment on this or other known or potential anti-AD > Environmentalist issues. Here on the "Delmarva" peninsula over-application > of raw chicken manure onto the farm fields, and the subsequent runoff into > our abundance of estuaries and bays is a big issue. Our goal of introducing > absolute containment with solar heated bladder/ batch systems and a more > environmentally acceptable compost byproduct .... is supposed to attract a > positive response from activists. > > Comments, Information, Suggestions? > > Thanks! > Steven > > -- > Steven Bolgiano > Executive Director > Planet Foundation Ltd. > 443.235.1344 > > > _______________________________________________ > Digestion mailing list > > to Send a Message to the list, use the email address > [email protected] > > to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page > > http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org > > for more information about digestion, see > Beginner's Guide to Biogas > http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/ > and the Biogas Wiki http://biogas.wikispaces.com/ > >
_______________________________________________ Digestion mailing list to Send a Message to the list, use the email address [email protected] to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org for more information about digestion, see Beginner's Guide to Biogas http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/ and the Biogas Wiki http://biogas.wikispaces.com/
