Fertilizer and Sanitary Quality of Digestate Biofertilizer from the Co-digestion of Food Waste and Human Excreta

Owamah, H.I. and Dahunsi, S. O. and Oranusi, S. U. and Alfa, I. M. (2014) Fertilizer and Sanitary Quality of Digestate Biofertilizer from the Co-digestion of Food Waste and Human Excreta. Waste Management, 34. pp. 747-752.

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Abstract

This research was aimed at assessing the fertilizer quality and public health implications of using digestate biofertilizer from the anaerobic digestion of food wastes and human excreta. Twelve (12) kg of food wastes and 3 kg of human excreta were mixed with water in a 1:1 w/v to make 30-l slurry that was fed into the anaerobic digester to ferment for 60 days at mesophilic temperature (22–31 �C). Though BOD, COD, organic carbon and ash content in the feedstock were reduced after anaerobic digestion by 50.0%, 10.6%, 74.3% and 1.5% respectively, nitrogen, pH and total solids however increased by 12.1%, 42.5% and 12.4% respectively. The C/N ratios of the feedstock and compost are 135:1 and 15.8:1. The residual total coliforms of 2.10 � 108 CFU/100 ml in the digestate was above tolerable limits for direct application on farmlands. Microbial analysis of the digestate biofertilizer revealed the presence of Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Clostridium, Bacillus, Bacteroides, Penicillum, Salmollena, and Aspergillus. Klebsiella, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Penicillum and Aspergillus can boost the efficiency of the biofertilizer through nitrogen fixation and nutrient solubility in soils but Klebsiella again and Salmollena are potential health risks to end users. Further treatment of the digestate for more efficient destruction of pathogens is advised

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Anaerobic digestion Digestate Biofertilizer Pathogens Public health
Subjects:	Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences
Depositing User:	Mr Solomon Bayoko
Date Deposited:	17 Jan 2015 17:17
Last Modified:	17 Jan 2015 17:17
URI:	http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/3333

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