August 2016 International Conference on Pollution Control and Resource Recovery for the Livestock Sector

NUI Galway recently hosted the second International Conference on Pollution Control and Resource Recovery for the Livestock Sector (LivestockWaste2016). The conference provided a forum for researchers and industry representatives to present, discuss and develop their innovative technologies and practices for managing livestock waste and recovering resources.

Sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, Engineers Ireland, Teagasc, NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute and Fáilte Ireland, the conference also facilitated the introduction of many innovative international solutions to representatives of the Irish livestock sector and engineering industry with the aim of improving practices in Ireland.

Professor Xinmin Zhan, Chair of LivestockWaste2016 and Professor with NUI Galway’s Civil Engineering, said: “In recent years, economic development, population growth and demand for a better quality of living have resulted in the growth of the livestock sector. As a by-product of the sectors activities, a large volume of waste is generated making the livestock sector one of the largest agricultural pollution sources in most developing and developed countries. In addition to the waste generated, the livestock sector is a major contributor to climate change as a result of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rumen animals, on-farm activities and animal waste management. In order to alleviate the pollution from the sector, innovative technologies and practices for managing livestock waste and emissions are being developed worldwide.”

Over the three days international renowned experts delivered keynote speeches on a number of critical topics relating to waste management within the Livestock sector including: Professor Kornelia Smalla, The Julius Kühn Institute, Germany; Dr Karl Richards, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle; Professor Han-Qing Yu, University of Science and Technology of China; Dr Jerry Murphy, University College Cork; Professor Xia Huang, Tsinghua University, China; and Professor Dave Chadwick, Bangor University in Wales.

In addition, the international conference delegates delivered, both, oral and poster presentations, over the three days. These presentation were grouped under a number of thematic areas, including but limited to: pollution policies and regulations for the livestock sector; emerging contaminants in livestock waste streams; technologies for waste prevention; anaerobic digestion and composting; pollution control technologies; Greenhouse Gas emissions; technologies for nutrient recovery; and other relative technologies.

The Environmental Engineering Research Group in Civil Engineering has been very active in carrying out research and practice in environmentally sustainable agricultural waste management. Professor Xinmin Zhan, who chaired the LivestockWaste2016 conference, is leading the GreenFarm project funded by SFI. The project explores the technical and financial feasibility of anaerobic co-digestion plants on Irish pig farms, and the DairyWater project investigating measures to increase the environmental sustainability of the Irish dairy processing industry.

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