Full-Scale Composting of Different Mixtures with Meal from Dead Pigs: Process Monitoring, Compost Quality and Toxicity

Abundant by-products of large swine industries, such as slaughterhouse sludge and carcasses, require adequate treatment to prevent negative effects of their direct disposal in the open environment. This study is aimed to evaluate the efficiency of composting using meal from dead pigs through physico...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Waste and biomass valorization 2021, Vol.12 (11), p.5923-5935
Main Authors: Guidoni, Lucas L. C., Martins, Gabriel A., Guevara, Miguel F., Brandalise, João N., Lucia, Thomaz, Gerber, Michel D., Corrêa, Luciara B., Corrêa, Érico K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abattoirs
Bioindicators
Carbon/nitrogen ratio
Composting
Composts
Engineering
Environment
Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology
Fertilizers
Germination
Indicator species
Industrial Pollution Prevention
Nitrogen
Nutrient content
Organic fertilizers
Original Paper
Physicochemical analysis
Phytotoxicity
Renewable and Green Energy
Sawdust
Sludge
Soybeans
Swine
Toxicity
Waste Management/Waste Technology
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Summary:Abundant by-products of large swine industries, such as slaughterhouse sludge and carcasses, require adequate treatment to prevent negative effects of their direct disposal in the open environment. This study is aimed to evaluate the efficiency of composting using meal from dead pigs through physicochemical analyses and phytotoxic assays. Five treatments were tested, all including 50% sawdust: T1, with 50% slaughterhouse sludge (control); T2, with 20% slaughterhouse sludge and 30% meal from dead pigs; T3, with 10% slaughterhouse sludge and 40% meal from dead pigs; T4, with 20% organic stabilizing compost and 30% meal from dead pigs and T5, with 30% organic stabilizing compost and 20% meal from dead pigs. The phytotoxicity assays used lettuce, cucumber, celia, soybean, rice and wheat as bioindicators. Inclusion of meal from dead pigs was related to reduction in pH, C/N ratio, humidity and temperatures inside the pile, although thermophilic peaks lasted longer than 50 days and the final composts showed high content of nitrogen and phosphorous. The germination of bioindicators was reduced in all tested treatments, compared to the control. The composts from treatments that included meal from dead pigs presented acceptable nutrient content, which may indicate their use as organic fertilizers. However, after 4 months, all bioindicators in contact with such composts presented impaired germination. Graphic Abstract
ISSN:1877-2641
1877-265X
DOI:10.1007/s12649-021-01422-0