Terminology Services

AgSTAR Handbook Glossary

Description:

Definitions of technical terms used to support AgSTAR.

Publishing Organization:

Office of Air and Radiation/Office of Atmospheric Protection/Climate Change Division

Last Update:

February 2021

Program Site:

https://www.epa.gov/agstar

Terms & Acronyms

Search Terms

Contains Begins Exact Match

	Term
	Aerobic	Definition: Requiring, or not destroyed by, the presence of free elemental oxygen.
	AgSTAR	Definition: A collaborative program sponsored by EPA and USDA that promotes the use of biogas recovery systems to reduce methane emissions from livestock manure.
	Anaerobic	Definition: Requiring, or not destroyed by, the absence of air or free oxygen.
	Anaerobic Bacteria	Definition: Bacteria that only grow in the absence of free elemental oxygen.
	Anaerobic Digestion	Definition: The degradation of organic matter including manure AD brought about through the action of microorganisms in the absence of elemental oxygen.
	Anaerobic Lagoon	Definition: A treatment or stabilization process that involves retention in a basin under anaerobic conditions.
	Bacteria	Definition: A group of universally distributed and essentially unicellular microscopic organisms lacking chlorophyll.
	Best Management Practice	Definition: A practice or combination of practices found to be the most effective, practicable (including economic and institutional considerations) means of preventing or reducing the amount of pollution generated by nonpoint sources to a level compatible with water quality goals. Acronym: BMP
	Biogas	Definition: Gas resulting from the decomposition of organic matter under anaerobic conditions. The principal constituents are methane and carbon dioxide.
	Biomass	Definition: Plant materials and animal wastes used especially as a source of fuel.
	Boar	Definition: An uncastrated male pig.
	British Thermal Unit	Definition: The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. One cubic foot of biogas typically contains about 600 to 800 BTUs of heat energy. By comparison, one cubic foot of natural gas contains about 1,000 BTUs. Acronym: BTU
	Bull	Definition: A mature (approximately 24 months of age or older) uncastrated male dairy or beef animal.
	Calf	Definition: An immature dairy or beef animal up to approximately six months of age.
	Carbohydrates	Definition: Any of various compounds of carbons, hydrogen, and oxygen (e.g., sugars, starches, and celluloses), which are generally formed by green plants. Carbohydrates are a principal source of energy in animal feeds and are excreted if not utilized.
	Complete Mix Digester	Definition: A controlled temperature, constant volume, mechanically mixed vessel designed to maximize biological treatment, methane production, and odor control as part of a manure management facility with methane recovery.
	Composting	Definition: The biological decomposition and stabilization of organic matter under conditions which allow the development of elevated temperatures as the result of biologically produced heat. When complete, the final product is sufficiently stable for storage and application to land without adverse environmental effects.
	Cover Fraction	Definition: The fraction of the lagoon (0-100%) that is covered by an impermeable gas- and air-tight cover.
	Covered Lagoon Digester	Definition: An anaerobic lagoon fitted with an impermeable, gas- and air-tight cover designed to capture biogas resulting from the decomposition of manure.
	Cow	Definition: A mature female dairy or beef animal that has produced at least one calf.
	Demand charge	Definition: The peak kW demand during any quarter hour interval multiplied by the demand charge rate.
	Digester	Definition: A concrete vessel used for the biological, physical, or chemical breakdown of livestock and poultry manure.
	Discount rate	Definition: The interest rate used to convert future payments into present values.
	Double Declining Balance	Acronym: DDB
	Double Declining Balance Depreciation	Definition: Double declining balance (DDB) depreciation is an accelerated depreciation method in which first year depreciation is double the amount of straight-line depreciation. Acronym: DDB Depreciation
	Down payment	Definition: The initial amount paid at the time of purchase or construction expressed as a percent of the total initial cost.
	Dry Cow	Definition: A mature cow in the period between the cessation of lactation and calving.
	Drylot	Definition: An enclosed, unpaved area where the animals can move about freely and where they can feed along a feed apron. Also called a corral or paddock in some regions.
	Drystack	Definition: Solid or dry manure that is scraped from a barn, feedlane, drylot or other similar surface and stored in a pile until it can be utilized.
	Effluent	Definition: The discharge from an anaerobic digester or other manure stabilization process.
	Facultative Bacteria	Definition: Bacteria living in the presence or absence of free oxygen. Facultative bacteria are important in the decomposition of manure.
	Fats	Definition: Any of numerous compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are glycerides of fatty acids, the chief constituents of plant and animal fat, and a major class of energy-rich food. "Fats are a principal source of energy in animal feeds and are excreted if not utilized."
	Feed Apron	Definition: A paved or hard surface along one side of a drylot where feed is provided to the animals.
	Feeder Pig	Definition: A pig from about 60 pounds to market weight.
	Finisher	Definition: A swine animal finished for market.
	Fixed Film Digester	Definition: An anaerobic digester in which the microorganisms responsible for waste stabilization and biogas production are attached to some inert medium.
	Flushing System	Definition: A manure collection system that collects and transports manure using water.
	Free Stall Barn	Definition: A dairy farm where cows are confined in a totally or partially enclosed structure but are not confined in individual stalls.
	Freeboard	Definition: The distance between the highest possible wastewater level in a manure storage/treatment structure and the top of the structure. Freeboard is an important design parameter in designing lagoons, ponds, storage basins, digesters, and other manure storage and treatment structures.
	Gilt	Definition: A female swine that has not produced pigs and has not reached an evident stage of pregnancy.
	Greenhouse Gas	Definition: An atmospheric gas, which is transparent to incoming solar radiation but absorbs the infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's surface. The principal greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and CFCs. Acronym: GHG
	Grower	Definition: An immature male or female swine animal managed between weaning and finishing weights.
	Heifer	Definition: A female dairy or beef animal that has not produced a calf.
	Hydraulic Retention Time	Definition: The average length of time any particle of manure remains in a manure treatment or storage structure. The HRT is an important design parameter for treatment lagoons, covered lagoon digesters, complete mix digesters, and plug flow digesters. Acronym: HRT
	Inflation Rate	Definition: The annual rate of increase in costs or sales prices in percent.
	Influent	Definition: The flow into an anaerobic digester or other manure stabilization process.
	Kilowatt	Definition: One thousand watts (1.341 horsepower). Acronym: kW
	Kilowatt Hour	Definition: A unit of work or energy equal to that expended by one kilowatt in one hour or to 3.6 million joules. A unit of work or energy equal to that expended by one kilowatt in one hour (1.341 horsepower-hours). Acronym: kWh
	Lagoon	Definition: Any large holding or detention pond, usually with earthen dikes, used to contain wastewater while sedimentation and biological treatment or stabilization occur.
	Land Application	Definition: Application of manure to land for reuse of the nutrients and organic matter for their fertilizer value.
	Liquid Manure	Definition: Manure having a total solids content of no more than five percent.
	Loading Rate	Definition: A measure of the rate of volatile solids (VS) entry into a manure management facility with methane recovery. Loading rate is often expressed as pounds of VS/1000 cubic feet.
	Manure	Definition: The fecal and urinary excretions of livestock and poultry.
	Memorandum of Understanding	Definition: An agreement between AgSTAR Partners, Allies, and Endorsers and the EPA stating the responsibilities and commitments agreed to by both parties. Acronym: MOU
	Mesophilic	Definition: Operationally between 80°F and 100°F (27°C and 38°C).
	Methane	Definition: A colorless, odorless, flammable gaseous hydrocarbon that is a product of the decomposition of organic matter. Methane is a major greenhouse gas. Methane is also the principal component of natural gas.
	Minimum Treatment Volume	Definition: The minimum volume necessary for the design HRT or loading rate.
	Mix Tank	Definition: A control point where manure is collected and added to water or dry manure to achieve the required solids content for a complete mix or plug flow digester.
	Natural Gas	Definition: A combustible mixture of methane and other hydrocarbons used chiefly as a fuel.
	Nonpoint Source Pollution	Definition: Pollution resulting from intermittent discharges of pollutants from diffuse sources and is in transit over land before entering a water body.
	Nursery	Definition: An immature male or female swine animal managed between birth and growing/finishing.
	Nursery Pig	Definition: A weaned pig up to about 60 pounds live weight.
	Nutrients	Definition: A substance required for plant or animal growth. The primary nutrients required by plants are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The primary nutrients required by animals are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
	Operating Volume	Definition: The volume of the lagoon needed to hold and treat the manure influent and the rain-evap volume.
	Parlor	Definition: Facility where lactating cows are managed before, during, and after milking.
	Partner	Definition: A livestock producer who signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. EPA and agrees to survey his/her facility and install methane recovery systems where profitable within 3 years.
	Pasture	Definition: An open area where the animals may roam freely.
	pH	Definition: A measure of acidity or alkalinity. The pH scale ranges from zero to 14, with a value of 7 considered neutral. The lower a value, the higher the acidity, and the higher the value, the higher the alkalinity.
	Piglet	Definition: A nursing pig.
	Plug Flow Digester	Definition: A constant volume, flow-through, controlled temperature biological treatment unit designed to maximize biological treatment, methane production, and odor control as part of a manure management facility with methane recovery.
	Point Source Pollution	Definition: Pollution entering a water body from a discrete conveyance such as a pipe or ditch.
	Process Water	Definition: Water used in the normal operation of a livestock farm. Process water includes all sources of water that may need to be managed in the farm's manure management system.
	Proteins	Definition: Any of numerous naturally occurring extremely complex combinations of amino acids containing the elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Proteins are in animal feeds are utilized for growth, reproduction, and lactation and are excreted if not utilized.
	Psychrophilic	Definition: Operationally between 54°F and 64°F (12°C and 18°C).
	Pull Plug Pit	Definition: A series of one or more pits where manure is collected until it is utilized or transferred to a storage or treatment structure.
	Renewable Natural Gas	Definition: Biogas that has been upgraded for use in place of fossil natural gas. Acronym: RNG
	Scrape System	Definition: Collection method that uses a mechanical or other device to regularly remove manure from barns, confine buildings, drylots, or other similar areas where manure is deposited.
	Separator	Definition: A mechanical device or gravity settling basin that separates manure into solid and liquid fractions.
	Settling Basin	Definition: A basin designed to separate solid and fibrous material in the manure from the liquid portion.
	Sideslope	Definition: The slope of a lagoon embankment, often expressed as the ratio of the horizontal displacement and vertical displacement.
	Sludge Volume	Definition: Volume to allow for sludge accumulation in a manure storage or treatment structure. Sludge volume is an important design parameter for manure storage and treatment structures.
	Slurry (Semi-solid) Manure	Definition: Manure having a total solids content between five and ten percent.
	Solid Manure	Definition: Manure having a total solids content exceeding 10 percent.
	Sow	Definition: A female pig that has produced at least one litter of piglets.
	Stand Alone Heifer Facility	Definition: A dairy operation that specializes in raising calves as dairy cow replacements.
	Storage Pond	Definition: An earthen basin designed to store manure and wastewater until it can be utilized. Storage ponds are not designed to treat manure.
	Storage Tank	Definition: A concrete or metal tank designed to store manure and wastewater until it can be utilized. Storage tanks are not designed to treat manure.
	Storm Runoff	Definition: Manure contaminated rainfall which must be stored and utilized on the farm and may not be discharged into rivers, streams, lakes, or other bodies of water.
	Supplemental Heat	Definition: Additional heat added to a complete mix or plug flow digester to maintain a constant operating temperature for maximum biological treatment, waste stabilization rates, and increased biogas production.
	Swine-Farrow-to-Feeder	Definition: A swine operation where pigs are raised from birth to approximately 60 pounds live weight.
	Swine-Farrow-to-Finish	Definition: A swine operation where pigs are raised from birth to market weight.
	Swine-Farrow-to-Nursery	Definition: A swine operation where pigs are raised from birth to weaning.
	Swine-Grow/Finish	Definition: A swine operation where feeder pigs are fed to market weight.
	Thermophilic	Definition: Operationally between 110°F and 140°F (43°C and 60°C).
	Tie Stall Barn	Definition: A dairy farm where cows are confined in a totally or partially enclosed structure and are confined in individual stalls.
	Total Solids	Definition: The sum of dissolved and suspended solids usually expressed as a concentration or percentage on a wet basis.
	Utility Interconnection	Definition: The method of utilizing electricity produced from manure management facilities. Options include either (1) on farm first use then sale to utility or (2) sale to the utility then direct purchase.
	Volatile Solids	Definition: The fraction of total solids that is comprised primarily of organic matter. Acronym: VS
	Volatilization	Definition: The loss of a dissolved gas, such as ammonia, from solution.
	Volumetric Loading Rate	Definition: The rate of addition per unit of system volume per unit time. Usually expressed as pounds of volatile solids per 1,000 cubic feet per day for biogas production systems.

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