Ashes from Sewage Sludge and Bottom Sediments as a Source of Bioavailable Phosphorus

Phosphorus is an element necessary for the growth of plants. As phosphate rock gets depleted, it becomes an increasingly scarce resource. Therefore, it seems necessary to implement simple methods of cheap and effective phosphorus recovery from waste. The ashes of municipal sewage sludge and bottom sediments constitute particularly valuable sources of phosphorus. However, these materials usually carry significant amounts of pollutants, including heavy metals. Optimization of ash phosphorus sequential extraction methods from a thermal conversion of sewage sludge and bottom sediments allows to select an effective and simple technology of phosphorus recovery, while maintaining low heavy metal p…

Dynamic of Components Leachate from Experimental Fertilizers in Leaching Test

Organic matter contained in the waste of food industry or occurring in the households, in the absence of contamination with other kind of waste, may be used to create a “fertiliser”, which could be even reused in the organic production of arable crops. Particular attention is drawn to the fertilisers which may be applied in the case of amateur cultivation of pot plants and in the allotment gardens. The paper presents the results of research regarding the dynamics of the release of nutrients from tablets created with the help of encapsulation of the mixture manufactured from solvent extraction waste of coffee (SCG), modified by the ash obtained from low temperature burning of biomass. In thi…

Biowęgiel jako środek polepszający właściwości gleby

The possibilities of using low-cost fibrous natural materials as sorbents for removing aliphatic hydrocarbons (C6-C15) from an aqueous solution

Sorption of oil-related products (including mainly the propellants) is the basic process that coun-teracts spreading these types of pollution into the environment. Plenty of synthetic substances (including multi-component petroleum products) must be removed both from the fresh and ground-water. The aim of this study was to compare the possibilities of using natural fibrous materials (also weed or waste materials): broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia L.) seeds, peat and coconut fiber as sorbents of aliphatic hydrocarbons from an aqueous solution. In order to increase sorptive capacity, tested materials were mercerized in hot (80°C) NaOH for sorption properties improvement. The removal of alip…

Uses of weeds as an economical alternative to processed wood biomass and fossil fuels

Abstract The use of fossil fuels as a main source of energy is directly linked to global climate change (due to CO2 emission), so there is a necessity to find new, cheap and easily available energy sources for the earth’s inhabitants. Nowadays renewable energy sources are forced also for the mitigation of the effects of climate change as a result of greenhouse gases emission control. Decentralized sources of low-cost renewable fuels that may be used, in particular, in those households where there is no possibility of using gas or heat delivered from other sources should be of special interest. This paper describes the possibility of using untreated plants such as Canadian goldenrod (Solidag…

Pollution of Flooded Arable Soils with Heavy Metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

Soils that are exposed to floodwaters because of shallow groundwater and periodical wetlands are, to a large extent, exposed to contamination by organic and inorganic compounds. These are mainly compounds that have drifted along with the inflow of heavily laden floodwater and are produced within the soil profile by the anaerobic transformation of organic matter. Heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds are absorbed by the soil of the floodwaters, and moving in the soil profile, they pose a threat to groundwater. What is more, after a flood, they may be absorbed by the crops. This paper focuses on the effects of Odra River (Poland) floods, heavy metals, and PAHs on so…

Acute Toxicity of Experimental Fertilizers Made of Spent Coffee Grounds

Sustainable agriculture places new demands on agricultural practice and, in particular, plant protection treatments and fertilization. Therefore, an increase in demand for organic fertilizers of good quality is expected. In particular, the organic matter contained in the waste of the food industry or generated in households, in the absence of contamination, can be used for the production of “fertilizer”, which could be used in organic crop production. The paper presents basic characteristics of tested mixtures and the results of testing for acute toxicity of the mixture made from spent coffee grounds (SCG) modified with ash arising from the low-temperature combustion of biomass or magnesium…

HOMEMADE SLOW-ACTION FERTILIZERS, AS AN ECONOMIC SOLUTION FOR ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTION

Organic plant cultivation, especially those intended for human consumption, poses new requirements for gardening. It is recommended to use organic slow-action fertilizers, which provide doses of nutrients essential for plants for a long time. Particularly valuable fertilizers are those that arise within the household, due to their high quality and the absence of costs associated with their purchase and transport. Organic matter contained in the food industry waste or arising in households, in the absence of contamination by other types of waste, can be used for self-production of organic fertilizer. The paper presents the results of testing organic fertilizers, which you can make yourself, …

The possibilities of using broadleaf cattail seeds (Typha latifolia L.) as super absorbents for removing aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) from an aqueous solution

Sorption of oil-related products (including mainly the propellants) is the very basic process that counteracts spreading these types of pollution into environment. Plenty of synthetic substances (including the monoaromatic hydrocarbons) are both from the surface and underground waters. The aim of this study was to present the research’s results on the possibilities of using the broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia L.) seeds as a sorbent of monoaromatic hydrocarbons from an aqueous solution. In order to increase sorptive capacity, the seeds biomass was submitted for the process of mercerizing in diversified time and temperature in water and the NaOH solution. The removal of benzene, toluene, e…

Assessment of Effectiveness of Organo-Mineral Fertilizer Made of Coffee Spent Grounds and Biomass Ash

Optimization of the biodegradable wastes management is one of the main goals of the activities taken up in the European Union. The aim of the present paper is to define the possibilities of supporting the process of golden rod yield (Solidago canadensis L.) by using different mineral-organic fertilizers, in a form of granulated substances, produced from extracted coffee wastes (CSG) as well as from ash which is the result of woody biomass combustion. Golden rod, as a potential energetic plant, is very easy to grow because it covers the grounds which are not utilized agriculturally or the ones localised in the close neighbourhood of industrial areas. For certain experimental purposes, a fiel…

Acute toxicity of experimental fertilizers made of blood meal, spent coffee ground and biomass ash

Abstract The study presents the results of research on the acute toxicity of a fertilizer formulas made of spent coffee ground (SCG) with addition of ash from low-temperature combustion of biomass or ash with an admixture of magnesium sulphate and blood meal. The experimental fertilizer formulas included also rape oil used as a plasticizer for controlling the nutrients release from the fertiliser. Mustard (Sinapis alba L.), oats (Avena sativa sp. L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and cress (Lepidium sativum L.) were used as test plants species in the experiment. The toxicity tests were performed using a standard procedure of 72 h with the use of Phytotoxkit microbiotest and fertilizer appl…