Optimisation of the co-combustion of meat–bone meal and sewage sludge in terms of the quality produced ashes used as substitute of phosphorites

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2021-02, Vol.28 (7), p.8205-8214
• Main Authors: Kowalski, Zygmunt, Banach, Marcin, Makara, Agnieszka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Aquatic Pollution; Ashes; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biological Products; Bone mass; Cadmium; Cadmium compounds; Circular economy; Coal; Combustion; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Fluorine; Fluorine compounds; Hydroxyapatite; Incineration; Meat; Meat industry; Minerals; Optimization; Oxidation; Phosphates; Phosphorus; Phosphorus pentoxide; Product life cycle; Research Article; Sewage; Sewage sludge; Substitutes; Trace levels; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11022-5

To obtain a high-quality phosphorus raw material comparable in quality to the best phosphorites used in the fertiliser industry, an analysis was carried out to determine the optimal mass proportions of a meat–bone meal and sewage sludge mixture to be used in a co-combustion process. The ashes obtained contained hydroxyapatite that could be considered a high-quality substitute for phosphorites, with an average P 2 O 5 content of 33.5%. These ashes do not contain fluorine compounds, cadmium content is at trace levels and they do not contain the radioactive compounds that are present in trace amounts in all phosphates. The developed process is an example of a production complex using cleaner technologies and circular economy principles on a microeconomic scale.