Abstract
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) peels have been implicated in serious environmental pollution. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of N.P.K (15:15:15) and microbial inoculants on the biodegradation process of cassava peels. Fresh cassava peels were subjected to biodegradation process for twenty weeks. The process was monitored by determining the moisture content, starch and total lipid using the official method of analysis of A.O.A.C, total protein by Kjeldahl method, total soluble carbohydrate by the modified Anthrone method, cellulose by the Nitric acid method, total cyanide by the modified alkaline picric acid method and pH using a Jowrey 3020 pH meter. The results of unsupplemented cassava peels and cassava peels supplemented with inorganic fertilizer N.P.K. (15:15:15) in experimental waste dump sites in which combinations of pure microbial cultures were used to inoculate cassava peels showed that pH increased from 5.89 to 7.03, total soluble carbohydrate concentrations decreased from 2.23% to 0.02%, protein from 5.54% to 0.78%, lipids from 3.00% to 0.1%, starch from 9.65% to 0.02%, cyanide from 0.11% to non-detectable level and cellulose from 8.80% to 0.20% at the end of the 20 weeks of investigation. This is an indication that the addition of inorganic fertilizer or microbial inoculants, or both enhanced the rate of biodegradation of cassava peels.Keywords: Biodegradation, Cassava peels, Dump site, Environmental pollution, Microbial Inoculant
Highlights
Economic difficulties in Nigeria since the last three decades have resulted in the high demand for cassava products such as garri, lafun, fufu, santana and tapioca as they are cheap sources of energy
Fresh cassava peels were collected from women peeling cassava tubers for garri processing and a waste dump in the school of supply and transport (S & T Army Baracks) off Uselu-Lagos Road, Benin City and stale cassava peels were collected from a waste dump site at S & T Army Barracks off UseluLagos Road, Benin City
The results of the analysis of physio-chemical parameters of the cassava peels undergoing biodegradation are shown in Tables 1 to 8
Summary
Economic difficulties in Nigeria since the last three decades have resulted in the high demand for cassava products such as garri, lafun, fufu, santana and tapioca as they are cheap sources of energy. The increased demand for cassava has resulted in an increase in annual cassava peels generated over the years. Cassava processing produce large amounts of waste and is generally considered to contribute significantly to environmental pollution (FAO, 2001). In spite of its good nutritional components which include protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals, water and fibres (Morgan and Choct, 2016), the high level of cyanide and tannin has limited its usage (Ofuya and Obilor, 1994). Pondja et al (2017) reported the removal of cyanide from cassava peels through fermentation and the subsequent application of the fermented cassava peels for treatment of mine water in a laboratory scale
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