Catalysis of stranded material on beaches in Arauco, Chile: experience with stranded sardines as fertilizer with a chemical solution

Abstract

Fish stranding or beaching is an infrequent but recurring phenomenon on the Chilean coastline and generates a serious public emergency. This phenomenon has been significantly reported around the mouth of the Laraquete River in Arauco, generally associated with water temperature changes and creating major environmental and public health problems due to the amount of organic matter deposited and outgassing from decomposition. This material is removed and taken to specialized landfills at a high cost, which merely transfers the problem without fundamentally solving it. Recently a product has been developed which appears capable of catalyzing organic material without the need for bacterial fermentation and increasing the bioavailability of soil nutrient materials. We evaluate this by using the product at the recommended concentration and doing on-site measurements of nitrites, nitrate, nitrogen, and phosphate levels. These showed, that after a 12-hour incubation period, the compounds increase, and organic material releases these compounds into a nutritious mud or organic compost. The smell was also evaluated as an indication of decomposition processes, with no changes recorded. The catalyzed material was transported to a farm site, mixed with low-quality soil, and subsequently planted with oats, reporting an output of over 90% in the soil treated with the catalyzed material. Health authority reviews raised no reports about odors. This data indicates that the product can release nutrients into the mud, generating organic compost, which can used for fertilizer in agricultural work. Future reports can indicate how this allows for new organic waste management strategies.