Abstract
Purpose: Organic waste comprises most of the waste in dumpsites in Kenya and this causes environmental challenges at such sites. With Kisumu as a case study, the purpose of this work was to explore the suitability of organic wastes from Kibuye market, hotels and livestock farms for compost manure making as a means of organic solid waste management. Methods: The study was cross-sectional in design. Compost manure was prepared from organic market waste, hotel food remains and livestock dung. Samples were then taken to a laboratory to test for the content of nitrogen, phosphorous (P2O5) using TES/06/TM/21 and TES/06/TM/24 methods respectively and potassium (K2O) using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) method as well as for heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb) while the Ph of the compost was tested by KS-158 method. Results: Laboratory tests for the presence of important crop elements were Nitrogen (0.4%), Phosphorous (0.4%), and Potassium (0.9%) whereas for heavy metals were Cd=Nil, Cu=10.1, Fe=1.08, Pb=Nil, and pH=8.4. Conclusion: It is safe to use organic waste from Kibuye as augmented by those from hotels and livestock farms for composting as a means of organic solid waste management if other supporting systems are in place.
Highlights
Sustainable Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) is one of the important obligatory functions of any Urban or City authority
In order to contribute to the mitigation of these effects, this study sought to determine the suitability of organic wastes from Kibuye market for compost manure as a means of solid waste management in Kisumu City
We present and discuss laboratory findings on nutrient content followed by the presence of heavy metal contaminants
Summary
Sustainable Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) is one of the important obligatory functions of any Urban or City authority. Even though the advantages of organic manure are widely known; advantages which include increasing soil fertility, improving soil physical conditions and microbiological conditions as well as crop yield [3,4], lack of knowledge of their exact nutritive value and possible contaminants deter farmers from utilizing them on their farms. They are left to fill dumpsites, be fed on by scavenging livestock and birds or left to decay thereby emitting repugnant odours and greenhouse gases which cause air pollution. This study assessed the nutritive value of such manure and the presence of heavy metal contaminants
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