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Modeling the contribution of pig farming to pollution of the Thachin River

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Abstract

Rapid growth of the livestock production sector in South-East Asia during recent decades has led to a widespread degradation of ground and surface waters. The Thachin River Basin in Central Thailand serves as a case study for investigating the origins and pathways of nutrient loads produced by intensive pig farming. A mathematical material flow analysis is used to identify key nitrogen flows and the main parameters determining them. Scenarios of the potential for reducing these flows and achieving compliance with current discharge regulations are investigated. The results show that liquid waste discharged from large pig farms and directly discharged waste from small farms are the key nitrogen flows to the river system. The key driving forces are not only the treatment coverage and efficiencies but also the rate of reuse and recycling of the treated product.

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Acknowledgments

The research for this article was carried out within Work Package 3 of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North–South: Research Partnerships for Mitigating Syndromes of Global Change. The project is co-funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and part of a partnership between the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), and the Hydrology Group of the University of Berne. The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following local and international experts for generously sharing their knowledge and experiences on the pig farming system in Thailand: Dr. Arux Chaiyakul, Dr. Adisorn Chanprapalert, Dr. Somchai Chantsavang, Dr. Sommai Chatsanguthai, Dr. Pierre Gerber, Dr. Roongnapa Korparditskul, Dr. Dirk Lamberts, Dr. Harald Menzi, Dr. Sumet Mettasart, Dr. Beat Müller, and Dr. Kattaporn Poopej.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Monika Schaffner

  2. Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, P.O. Box 611, 8600, Duebendorf, Switzerland

    Monika Schaffner, Hans-Peter Bader & Ruth Scheidegger

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  1. Monika Schaffner
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Correspondence to Monika Schaffner.

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Schaffner, M., Bader, HP. & Scheidegger, R. Modeling the contribution of pig farming to pollution of the Thachin River. Clean Techn Environ Policy 12, 407–425 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-009-0255-y

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