1478 C. W. WEBER, A. R. DOBERENZ AND B. L.

R E I D

onstrated that strontium was rapidly re-
moved from the tibiae. The strontium in
the tibiae did not appear to replace cal-
cium as demonstrated in the egg shell
data. The chemical form of the deposited
strontium in adult hen bone has not been
determined.
REFERENCES
phorus as influenced by addition to the diet of
salts of metals which form insoluble phosphates.
Am. J. Phys. 124: 230-237.
Koenig, G. A., and C. R. Johnson, 1942. Calori-
metric determination of phosphorus in biological
materials. Ind. Eng. Chem. Anal. Ed. 14: 155—
156.
Mraz, F. R., P. L. Wright and T. M. Ferguson, 1967.
In: Strontium Metabolism. Eds. J. M. A. Leni-
han, J. F. Loutit and J. H. Martin, Academic
Press, New York.

Coleman Model 21 Flame Photometer, 1958. Bull-
D-248 B, Maywood, Illinois.
Colvin, L. B., and C. R. Creger, 1967. Stable stron-
tium and experimental bone anomalies. Fed.
Proc. 26:416.
Comar, C. L., and F. Bonner, 1964. Mineral Metabo-
lism. Vol. 2, Academic Press, New York.
Doberenz, A. R., C. W. Weber and B. L. Reid, 1969.
Effect of high strontium levels on bone and egg
shell calcium and strontium. Calc. Tiss. Res. 4:
180-184.
Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F
test. Biometrics, 11:1-42.
Jones, J. A., 1938. Metabolism of calcium and phos-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Penn State University (Paterno Lib) on May 9, 2016
Schmid, A., and K. Zipf, 1965. The deposition and
distribution of strontium in the hen egg. Zentr.
Veterinaermed, Reihe B. 12: 613-616.
Storey, E., 1968. Calcium and strontium changes in
bone associated with continuous administration
of stable strontium to rats. Arch. Biochem. Bio-
phys. 103: 575-581.
Tree, T. M., E. A. Gusmano and S. H. Cohn, 1965.
Decrement in radiostrontium retention following
stable strontium prefeeding in the growing rat.
J. Nutrition, 87: 399-406.
Weber, C. W., A. R. Doberenz, R. W. G. Wyckoff
and B. L. Reid, 1968. Strontium metabolism in
chicks. Poultry Sci. 47: 1318-1323.

Characteristics of Poultry Processing Effluent

S. P. SINGH, 1 R. LEWIS WESLEY 2 AND E. A. BUDD 1

(Received for publication November 7, 1972)

ABSTRACT Raw effluents from 4 broiler processing plants were analyzed for BOD5,
suspended solids, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Analytical procedures were conducted in a central
independent laboratory. Variability was greatest in dissolved oxygen and least in pH. These
results show that a variety of factors influence the composition of raw effluents from broiler
processing plants. This information should be helpful in determining the design for waste treat-
ment systems for the processing industry.
POULTRY SCIENCE 52: 1478-1481, 1973

INTRODUCTION offal are handled, the degree of efficiency

W ASTE disposal is one of the most
serious problems facing the poultry
processing industry. The characteristics of
poultry processing wastes depend upon
the manner in which blood, feathers, and
1
Rockingham Poultry Marketing Cooperative,
Incorporated, Broadway, Virginia 22815.
2 overall waste loads and water usage rates.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State Univer-
sity, Department of Poultry Science, Blacksburg,
Virginia 24061.
of screening and liquid solids separation at
the pre-treatment plant site, the type of
processing equipment in the plant, rate of
production, the number of pounds pro-
cessed, and the total water usage. During
the last twenty years, several changes
have occurred within the poultry industry
that have caused a tremendous increase in
Regulations for improved sanitation have
played a large role in increasing water
 POULTRY PROCESSING EFFLUENT 1479

usage. These changes have altered the
characteristics of processing plant efflu-
ents. A good review of the characteristics
of poultry processing plant effluent has
been provided by Porges and Struzeski
(1962). Griffith (1970) reported that bio-
chemical oxygen demand (BOD5) cannot
be expressed accurately in terms of pro-
duction units of either head count or gross
live weight unless consideration is given
sociation (1965) with a slight modification
in that samples were not seeded for BOD5
determinations. This was appropriate be-
cause preliminary testing showed that
seeding of the samples was not necessary.
All BOD5 tests were analyzed during a
5-day period, calculated in mg. per liter of
sample and expressed as such. Analyses of
variance with months and plants as main
variables were calculated for dissolved

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to the average live weight. Hamm (1972) oxygen, BOD5, suspended solids and pH.
noted great variability in several pollu- When significant (P < .05) or highly sig-
tion-indicator parameters in the effluents nificant (P < .01) effects were found,
of poultry processing plants. His param- means were separated by Duncan's mul-
eters, however, did not include BOD5. tiple range test.
Only limited information is available re- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
garding the effluent characteristics of
poultry processing plants over time. A Means, by months and by processing
central laboratory for testing effluents plants, are summarized in Tables 1 and 2,
from such plants has been established in respectively. There were considerable
Virginia (Singh et al., 1971). This report fluctuations within and among plants and
presents data obtained by that laboratory also among months for each of the param-
from four specific processing plants lo- eters measured.
cated in Virginia. The results should prove Dissolved Oxygen. There were highly sig-
useful in establishing criteria for the de- nificant differences among months and
sign of waste treatment systems for highly significant differences among plants
poultry processing plants. for dissolved oxygen. These results are
consistent with those of Hamm (1972).
PROCEDURE The data from Plant B was the most vari-
Samples of plant final effluent (raw able of the 4 plants, with a coefficient of
waste) were collected from 4 broiler pro- variation of 200%. The increased vari-
cessing plants after screening and prior to
any treatment. Each of these plants, lo- TABLE 1.—Means by months for all plants
cated within 50 miles of Harrisonburg,
Suspended
Va., processes approximately 50,000 broil- Month Dissolved
oxygen BOD5 pH
solids
ers per day. The samples were obtained as
grab samples in gallon plastic containers Jan. 4.45 b 925* 279* 7.20*
Feb. 4.33 b 484* 294" 7.18*
each month of 1971, generally during the Mar. 4.50 b 700" 392»b 7.13*
morning hours. Although the frequency Apr. 2.15* 458" 318* 7.18*
May 2.50»b 705* 381*b 7.23*
of sampling varied from plant to plant, June 2.23* 885* 516»b 7.20*
collections were made during each week July 2.43* b 706* 619ab 7.05*
Aug. 1.88" 715" 693b 7.08*
with the analysis performed on the day Sept. 1.95" 706* 339* 7.08*
they were obtained. Fifty-two samples per Oct. 2.10* 856* 73 l b 7.25*
Nov. 2.60*b 656* 464*b 6.85*
plant were analyzed. Dec. 3.63* b 1149" 506*b 6.98*
Analytical procedures followed those Means in a column followed by the same super-
described by American Public Health As- script are not significantly different from each other.
1480 S. P. STNGH, R. L. W E S L E Y AND E. A. B U D D

TABLE 2.—Means, standard deviations, and coefficients of variation by processing plants for one year

Dissolved oxygen BOD 5 Suspended solids pH

Plant
x ± sd CV(%) x + sd CV(%) x + sd CV(%) x + sd CV(%)
b
A 4.48° + 1.70 38 500" + 236 47 507" +315 62 7.10" + .13 2
B .70" + 1.37 200 868" + 645 74 374" + 198 53 7.27 b + .23 3
C 2.92 b + 1.66 58 761" + 109 14 368" + 188 51 6.99" + .21 3
D 3.48 b »+1.45 42 853" + 229 27 594b + 235 40 7.10" + .13 2

Means in a column followed by the same superscript are not significantly different from each other.

ability was felt to have been due to in-
efficient solid-liquid separation.
BODs. BOD5 values were not signifi-
cantly different among plants or among
months. This is in agreement with results
reported by Griffith (1970), who identified
the most important factors responsible for
fluctuations in BOD 5 as weight of birds,
degree of finish of birds, types of process-
ing and screening equipment, and plant
operating procedures.
Suspended Solids. There were highly
significant differences among months and
among plants for suspended solids. These
differences m a y be due to several factors,
among which are outside temperatures,
screening efficiencies resulting from hu-
man error or neglect, seasonal variation
in broiler weights, and bacterial loading
of plant effluent. The latter m a y be be-
cause of seasonal conditions t h a t either
favor or inhibit bacterial growth.
pH. The p H values showed little vari-
ability. Differences among months were
not significant, while among plants the p H
for Plant B was significantly greater than
t h a t for the other plants. Some factors
t h a t affect p H values for plant effluent are
efficiency of plant management to control
the amounts of detergents used for cleanup,
initial p H of plant water supply, and
whether chemicals are used for p H adjust-
ments of the effluent. T h e p H values
reported here were less variable than
those reported by Porges and Struzeski
(1962).
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General. Table 3 shows a comparison of
d a t a gathered in this study and those re-
ported by Porges and Struzeski (1962). I t
is interesting to note t h a t the results of
this study exhibited a smaller range of
total solids, suspended solids, and dis-
solved solids t h a n the information re-
ported b y Porges and Struzeski (1962).
This may be due to better screening being
done in the plants of today than 10 years
ago a n d / o r it might be due to increased
water usage within the plant.
There were large monthly fluctuations
in each of the characteristics. In warm
months the dissolved oxygen was low and
BOD5 values were high, while in cool
months dissolved oxygen was high and
BOD5 values were low. There was no
definite monthly p a t t e r n for the other
parameters. Factors other than seasonal
cycles m a y contribute to the monthly
fluctuation. These m a y include the load of
the plant, weight of the birds, water
usage, and efficiency of the blood handling
system.
TABLE 3.—Composition of combined poultry
plant waste water.
Porges and
Our Strugeski
range (1962)
range
BOD5 225-2725 150-2400
Suspended solids 125-1215 100-1500
Dissolved solids 63-1626 200-2000
Total solids 597-1836 350-3200
pH 6.8-7.4 6.5-9.0
 POULTRY PROCESSING EFFLUENT
The values presented here should be
considered in designing waste treatment
systems for poultry processing effluent.
Coefficients of variations of the measured
parameters should serve as a guide in the
development of such treatment facilities.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors gratefully acknowledge the
encouragement of Mr. George A. Heitz,
Rockingham Poultry Marketing Coopera-
tive, Incorporated, and Dr. Paul Siegel,
Department of Poultry Science, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State Univer-
sity, for their assistance with this project.
NEWS AND NOTES
(Continued from page 1462)
Farmers, and the Eastwood group. Since then
Ross Poultry has joined the consortium and East-
woods have left. West country packers, W. J.
Walkins and Sons, and Scots wholesalers, Archi-
bald Fleming, are also linked with the consortium.
Just seven points separated the top three entries
and the other three were not far behind^ These
other contestants were Ballyfree Brown of the Re-
public of Ireland, NB (Naturellement Bon) Eggs
from France, and Deans Farm Eggs, Crosfields In-
ternational and Hen House Egg Shops, all of
Great Britain.
The non-voting Chairman of the judges panel
was David Pickard, Wye College; and the mem-
bers were Peel Holroyd, Marks and Spencer; Mrs.
Pamela Dolter, Family Circle; Bernard Mallet,
Eggs Authority; Keith Bowman, N.F.TJ. Agricul-
tural Cooperation and Marketing Services Ltd.;
Hans Nagel, Protinas Gmb, H. D. Vries, Dutch Ag-
ricultural Attache; John Cook, Spillers Farm
Feeds Ltd.; and John Farrant, Poultry World.
HY-LINE NOTES
Charles J. Simmons, Riverside, California, has
been appointed Sales Representative for Hy-Line
International in San Diego, Orange, and Imperial
counties of California. He previously was North-
ern California Representative. He also represented
(Continued on page 1491)
1481
REFERENCES
American Public Health Association, 1965. Standard
Methods for Examination of Water and Waste-
water. American Public Health Association, Inc.,
New York, N. Y.
Griffith, C. C , 1970. BOD 5 poses problems for poul-
try growers and processors. Industrial Wastes,
Jan./Feb. 1970: 9-14.
Hamm, D., 1972. Characteristics of effluents in ten
southeastern poultry processing plants. Poultry
Sci. 51: 825-829.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Penn State University (Paterno Lib) on May 9, 2016
Porges, R., and E. J. Struzeski, Jr., 1962. Wastes
from the poultry processing industry. The Robert
A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center. Tech.
Rept. W62-3., Cincinnati, Ohio, TJ. S. Dept. of
H.E.W.
Singh, S. P., R. L. Wesley and D. Pitts, 1971. The
establishment of a central waste water analysis
laboratory in Virginia. Poultry Sci. 50: 1632.
Ames In-Cross in Southern California for seven
years.
William Renfrow, Adel, Iowa, has been ap-
pointed Manager of the Dallas Center, Iowa, Re-
search Farm. He joined Hy-Line in 1954, and has
worked in the research laboratories and as a staff
member.
GOLDEN EGG AWARDS
A. Berkowitz, Lambertville, Manager, Delaware
Valley Farmers Cooperative Association, Fleming-
ton, and Edward J. Hilton, Rosemont, Supervisor
of Poultry Products Standardization, New Jersey
Department of Agriculture, were recipients of the
1973 Golden Egg Awards of the New Jersey State
Poultry Association.
SANOVO NOTES
Sanovo (U.S.A.), Inc., South EI Monte, Cali-
fornia, has concluded a transaction whereby Dia-
mond Automation Division, Farmington, Michi-
gan, and Food Engineering Service, Los Angeles,
California, will market all Sanovo egg breaking
equipment in the United States, Canada and Mex-
ico.
STERWIN NOTES
Dr. Calvin E. Anthony has joined Sterwin Lab-