NEWS
2024.08.08
【Report】 The AJI International Workshop was held! “Perspectives of Wastewater Treatment Technology for Sustainable Pig Farming: Comparison of Problem Structures in China, Japan, and Vietnam”
An International Workshop on “Perspectives of Wastewater Treatment Technology for Sustainable Pig Farming: Comparison of Problem Structures in China, Japan, and Vietnam,” hosted by the Asia-Japan Research Institute (AJI), Ritsumeikan University, was held online on August 3, 2024. The workshop featured seven presenters from universities across Asia, including China, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, and attracted a diverse audience from various countries. The event was divided into two sessions, moderated by Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuong (job description/research position) and Dr. Rongxuan Wang, a senior researcher at the Asia-Japan Research Institute, Ritsumeikan University.
Professor Yasushi Kosugi, Director of the Asia-Japan Research Institute, gave the welcoming speech. After extending a warm welcome to all the speakers and participants both in Japan and abroad, he provided an introduction to the Asia-Japan Research Institute at Ritsumeikan University, highlighting its mission. He then outlined the program and objectives of the workshop, emphasizing the critical role of wastewater management in achieving sustainable development in the livestock industry across Asia. He concluded his speech by expressing his hopes for the success of the workshop and encouraging researchers to foster strong relationships and continued collaboration in the future.
Prof. Yasushi Kosugi delivering the opening remark
The first session opened with a presentation by Dr. Rongxuan Wang with the title “Insights into the Removal of Pollutants by Various Treatment Technologies from Swine Wastewater in China.” He discussed the situation of pig farming and the applicability of various wastewater treatment technologies for swine wastewater in China. His research examined several full-scale case studies utilizing different wastewater treatment processes, including anaerobic-natural and combined treatments. He also addressed the challenges and prospects of implementing green technologies for swine wastewater treatment, aiming to support the sustainable development of the pig farming industry in China. Following his informative presentation, the participants provided numerous comments and questions.
Dr. Wang Rongxuan making his presentation
In the second presentation, Dr. Dan A. (Associate Professor, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, China) presented her research titled “Optimization of Substrate-Plant Combinations in Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands and Their Microbial Responses: Enhancement of Livestock Wastewater Treatment and Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction.” The main purpose of her research was to evaluate six different substrate-plant combinations of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (CWs) for their ability to purify livestock wastewater and to measure their greenhouse gas emission fluxes. She also aimed to elucidate the mechanisms influencing livestock wastewater purification and greenhouse gas emission reduction in these CWs through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and molecular biological analysis. Her results showed that the organic matter and nitrogen were effectively removed by the CWs. Notably, the CWs featuring ceramsite and Canna indica exhibited the best overall performance in both wastewater treatment and greenhouse gas reduction. She concluded her presentation by giving detailed answers to three of the participants’ questions and received many positive reactions from the audience.
Dr. Dan A making her presentation
Next, Dr. Obey Gotore, a senior researcher from Akita Prefectural University, Japan made his presentation under the title “Challenges of Veterinary Antibiotic Pollution from Swine Farms and Possible Wastewater Treatment Options.” He began by outlining the current situation of antibiotic use in animal husbandry in Japan and the dangers of antibiotic contamination from swine wastewater. He also reviewed various methods that have been applied in the treatment of antibiotics in swine wastewater, concluding that the residues of veterinary antibiotics cannot be easily removed by conventional methods. He proposed that modern technologies, including adsorption, show promise for removing these residues and presented evidence from his research group's results demonstrating that the removal of antibiotics from swine wastewater using an adsorption method combining activated manganese species and biochar was more successful than conventional methods.
Dr. Obey Gotore delivering his presentation
The last presentation in the first session was given by Dr. Chikako Ishimoto from Shizuoka Prefectural Research Institute of Animal Industry Swine & Poultry Research Center, Japan, named “Current Status and Issues in the Treatment of Swine Wastewater in Japan - Towards the Development of an Innovative Nitrogen Removal Process Using Anammox.” She introduced the transformations in pig farming structure and wastewater management in Japan. Unlike developing countries such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam, where small-scale farms (1-100 pigs) dominate, Japan primarily has medium-scale (300-500 pigs) and large-scale (501-3000 pigs) farms. Additionally, these developing countries predominantly use anaerobic digestion technology for wastewater treatment, whereas Japan mostly employs aerobic processes like activated sludge. However, the efficiency of nitrogen removal by these methods is unstable. Her research proposed using a novel nitrogen removal process involving anammox bacteria to treat swine wastewater. The results demonstrated a significant increase in nitrogen removal efficiency with this method, along with reduced electricity consumption.
Dr. Chikako Ishimoto making her presentation
The second session started with the presentation named “Challenges of Recycling Swine Wastewater in Vietnam to Approach a Circular Economy” from Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong Giang (Senior Lecturer, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Vietnam). She presented a synthesis analysis of studies on swine wastewater management in Vietnam, aiming to promote wastewater recycling for other economic activities. This approach contributes to reducing waste generation and promoting the sustainable utilization of water resources. Her study identified significant challenges in reusing livestock wastewater, based on scientific evidence and practical considerations. The analysis focused on farm characteristics, climatic conditions, wastewater treatment technologies, and current regulations and policies for implementing circular economy practices in agriculture. Additionally, she proposed specific policies and regulations for reusing swine wastewater and livestock waste in general. In the Q&A session, the enthusiastic participants raised several comments, and she clarified some questions from the other presenters.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong Giang delivering her presentation
Dr. Ramesprabu Ramaraj (Associate Professor, Maejo University, Thailand) continued the second session with a presentation “Achieving Carbon Neutrality through Anaerobic Digestion: A Study on Biogas Production from Swine Wastewater and Grass Silage.” He discussed the use of anaerobic digestion for treating wastewater and producing bioenergy in pig farming. His research highlights that co-digestion, particularly using elephant grass silage and manure, enhances organic material breakdown and gas production. Dr. Ramaraj also examined and compared the methods used in Thailand, China, Japan, and Vietnam for managing and treating swine wastewater. The presentation highlighted recent advancements and highly efficient strategies in these regions. His research aims to encourage sustainable practices in pig farming by efficiently converting manure into biogas, thereby reducing its environmental impact and advancing renewable energy initiatives. At the end of his presentation, he showed his outstanding achievements and publications related to this research to the participants.
Dr. Ramesprabu Ramaraj making his presentation
The last presentation in the second session was given by Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuong (Senior Researcher, Asia-Japan Research Institute, Ritsumeikan University). The title of her presentation was “Swine Wastewater Treatment Management in Vietnam: A Sustainable Approach Using Constructed Wetlands.” She began her presentation by discussing pig production and the alarming wastewater pollution situation in Vietnam. She reviewed the methods used to treat pig wastewater in the country, noting that most pig wastewater is treated by anaerobic digestion. However, the treated wastewater still contains high concentrations of pollutants that do not meet discharge standards. To address this, she proposed using CWs as a green technology for post-biogas wastewater treatment, highlighting their advantages such as simple operation, low cost, and high biodiversity value. Dr. Thuong also presented her research results, demonstrating the successful treatment of pig wastewater using CWs filled with clamshells and planted with an economically valuable plant, namely Ubon Paspalum, which increased the economic value of the treatment system. After her interesting presentation, participants enthusiastically discussed her topic research and gave her their comments.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuong delivering her presentation
After the two sessions, all the invited speakers and audience members gathered for the closing discussion. During this time, the speakers engaged in a productive dialogue, addressing numerous insightful questions and comments from the audience. Furthermore, all the researchers affirmed their commitment to promoting international academic research-sharing platforms and enhancing future collaboration.
In his closing remarks, Professor Soda Satoshi from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, expressed his gratitude to all invited speakers, participants, and organizers for the success of the workshop. He summarized the key points of the discussion and emphasized the importance of swine wastewater treatment management in Asian countries, emphasizing that international collaborations could drive innovation for tackling global livestock wastewater pollution issues. Finally, he wished all the participants success in their scientific research careers and expressed his hopes for further international collaborations on this important topic.
Prof. Soda Satoshi making the closing remark
We would like to express our gratitude to the AJI organizers, the excellent speakers, and all the attendees who contributed to the success of this international workshop.