Bone Meal Ash Research Articles

Transfer of polychlorinated, polybrominated and mixed-halogenated dioxins, furans and biphenyls, polychlorinated naphthalenes and alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorobenzenes to the milk of dairy cattle from controlled ingestion of industrial and municipal bioresources recycled to agricultural land

Recycled bioresources (biosolids, compost-like-output, meat and bonemeal ash, poultry litter ash, paper sludge ash) were added to the feed of dairy cattle to simulate incidental ingestion from agricultural utilisation, to investigate the transfer of organic contaminants from the ingested materials to milk. The bioresources were blended with a loamy sand soil at agronomic rates to simulate a single application to land, which was added to the diet at 5 % of the total intake on a dry matter (DM) basis. Biosolids, and control treatments consisting of unamended soil, were also added directly to the feed at 5 % DM. The cattle were fed the bioresource amended diets for a target period of three to four weeks, depending on material, and monitoring continued for four weeks after treatment withdrawal. Milk samples were taken weekly with chemical analysis of selected samples for a range of organic contaminants including: polychlorinated, polybrominated and mixed-halogenated dioxins, furans and biphenyls, polychlorinated naphthalenes and alkanes (often called chlorinated paraffins), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorobenzenes.No statistically significant additional transfer of organic contaminants to the milk was detected due to the relatively low levels of contaminants present when the bioresources were incorporated with soil at agronomic rates. However, direct biosolids ingestion by cattle significantly increased the transfer of contaminants to milk in comparison to control animals. Although present in larger concentrations in biosolids than their chlorinated counterparts, the carry over rates and bioconcentration factors of brominated dioxins and furans were considerably smaller. Direct ingestion of biosolids resulted in most contaminants approaching, but not always completely reaching, steady state concentrations within the treatment feeding period, however, concentrations generally declined to control values within four-weeks after withdrawing the biosolids-amended diet.

Linking Phosphorus Extraction from Different Types of Biomass Incineration Ash to Ash Mineralogy, Ash Composition and Chemical Characteristics of Various Types of Extraction Liquids

Phosphorus (P) rich ash from biomass incineration is a potential promising alternative for non-renewable phosphate rock. This study considered the P recovery potential of poultry manure ash, sewage sludge ash and meat and bone meal ash through wet chemical extraction. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that these three ash types had a distinct P mineralogy. If inorganic acids were used for the extraction, the P extraction efficiency was not or only slightly affected by the P mineralogy. Contrarily, for the organic acids, alkaline extraction liquid and chelating agents considered, the P extraction efficiency was highly affected by the P mineralogy, and was also affected by the elemental composition of the ash and/or the chemical characteristics of the extraction liquids. Alkaline extraction liquids showed in general low heavy metal co-extraction, in contrast to the inorganic acids. From an economic point of view, of all extraction liquids considered, sulfuric acid was the most interesting to extract P from all three ash types. Oxalic acid could be a more sustainable option for P extraction from sewage sludge ash. In addition, extraction of poultry manure ash with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid showed a relatively high P extraction efficiency combined with relatively low heavy metal co-extraction.Graphic Abstract

Concentrations of organic contaminants in industrial and municipal bioresources recycled in agriculture in the UK

Many types of bioresource materials are beneficially recycled in agriculture for soil improvement and as alternative bedding materials for livestock, but they also potentially transfer contaminants into plant and animal foods. Representative types of industrial and municipal bioresources were selected to assess the extent of organic chemical contamination, including: (i) land applied materials: treated sewage sludge (biosolids), meat and bone meal ash (MBMA), poultry litter ash (PLA), paper sludge ash (PSA) and compost-like-output (CLO), and (ii) bedding materials: recycled waste wood (RWW), dried paper sludge (DPS), paper sludge ash (PSA) and shredded cardboard. The materials generally contained lower concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) relative to earlier reports, indicating the decline in environmental emissions of these established contaminants. However, concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) remain elevated in biosolids samples from urban catchments. Polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) were present in larger amounts in biosolids and CLO compared to their chlorinated counterparts and hence are of potentially greater significance in contemporary materials. The presence of non-ortho-polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in DPS was probably due to non-legacy sources of PCBs in paper production. Flame retardent chemicals were one of the most significant and extensive groups of contaminants found in the bioresource materials. Decabromodiphenylether (deca-BDE) was the most abundant polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and may explain the formation and high concentrations of PBDD/Fs detected. Emerging flame retardant compounds, including: decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) and organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), were also detected in several of the materials. The profile of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) depended on the type of waste category; perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) was the most significant PFAS for DPS, whereas perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was dominant in biosolids and CLO. The concentrations of polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) were generally much larger than the other contaminants measured, indicating that there are major anthropogenic sources of these potentially hazardous chemicals entering the environment. The study results suggest that continued vigilance is required to control emissions and sources of these contaminants to support the beneficial use of secondary bioresource materials.

Mechanism and kinetics of binding of meat and bone meal ash into the Portland cement clinker

Meat and bone meal (MBM) is the alternative fuel with good calorific value used in cement production. The main problem with MBM combustion in a cement kiln is the high content of P2O5, which incorporates in clinker phases, influencing phase composition of clinker and hence the quality of the cement. In cement industry, only limited amount of MBM is burned to prevent adverse effect. P2O5 has a significantly negative effect on the formation of the main clinker phase alite and it stabilizes belite by means of entering its structure. At 4.5 wt% P2O5 in the clinker, the alite formation is completely blocked. Research on kinetics of reactions between clinker and MBM proved reduction of negative reactions and minimization of migration of P2O5 into the clinker minerals using undispersed P2O5 carrier. The carrier in pellet form eliminates the negative effect of P2O5 on the formation of the alite. The research was conducted by means of XRD, optical and electron microscopy. Electron microanalysis showed that P2O5 migrated inside the clinker to a distance of less than 250 μm from the ash and clinker interface. Clinker was not influence outside this area. It is possible to prepare high quality cement from the clinker containing ash residues from MBM in an amount corresponding to up to 10 wt% P2O5. The work was completed with preparation of cement with 7 wt% of P2O5, which exhibited good technological properties. In addition, these cements significantly reduce the leachability of toxic elements.

Meat & bone meal (MBM) incineration ash for phosphate removal from wastewater and afterward phosphorus recovery

Abstract Meat & bone meal ash (MBMA), the bottom ash collected from a UK industrial-scale incinerator in a power plant with meat & bone meal (MBM) as the mono-energy source, was characterised in terms of its elemental and crystalline compositions. MBMA has high phosphorus concentration (13.48% P, or 31.31% P2O5) and low hazardous element content. The phosphorus present in it, which mainly in the form of hydroxyapatite (HAP), would only release at initial acid leaching pH lower than 2.7 at solid: liquid ratio of 1:1 (wt.). Then MBMA was used for P removal from synthetic phosphate wastewater in batch adsorption experiments. The removal of P can be completed over a wide range of initial pH within an hour with removal capacity ∼115 mg g−1 being achieved. The main P removal mechanisms can be explained by HAP precipitation because of the MBMA seeding effect. After the wastewater treatment process, P content of the ash was increased from 13.48% to 16.18% (or 37.06% P2O5), and the acid consumption for P recovery from the ash after wastewater treatment was reduced by 20% compared with the original MBMA. The acid consumption under optimized conditions was as low as ∼3 mM H+/mM P. The application of MBMA for P-containing wastewater treatment not only offered the benefit of wastewater remediation, but it also contributed greatly to the feasibility of using MBMA for P recovery.

Fertilizer Effect of Phosphorus Recycling Products

Between 2004 and 2011 the German Government funded 17 different projects to develop techniques of phosphorus recycling from wastewater, sewage sludges, and sewage sludge ashes. Several procedures had been tested, such as precipitation, adsorption, crystallization, nano-filtration, electro-dialysis, wet oxidation, pyrolysis, ion exchange, or bioleaching. From these techniques, 32 recycling products were tested by five different institutes for their agronomic efficiency, that is, their plant availability, mainly in pot experiments. This manuscript summarizes and compares these results to evaluate the suitability of different technical approaches to recycle P from wastes into applicable fertilizers. In total, 17 products of recycled sewage sludge ashes (SSA), one meat and bone meal ash, one sinter product of meat and bone meal, one cupola furnace slag, nine Ca phosphates from crystallization or from precipitation, Seaborne-Ca-phosphates, Seaborne-Mg-phosphate, and 3 different struvites were tested in comparison to controls with water soluble P, that is, either single super phosphate (SSP) or triple super phosphate (TSP). Sandy and loamy soils (pH: 4.7–6.8; CAL-P: 33–49 ppm) were used. The dominant test plant was maize. Phosphorus uptake from fertilizer was calculated by the P content of fertilized plants minus P content of unfertilized plants. Calculated uptake from all products was set in relation to uptake from water soluble P fertilizers (SSP or TSP) as a reference value (=100%). The following results were found: (1) plants took up less than 25% P in 65% of all SSA (15 products); (2) 6 products (26%) resulted in P uptake of 25 and 50% relatively to water soluble P. Only one Mg-P product resulted in an uptake of 67%. With cupola furnace slag, 24% P uptake was reached on sandy soil and nearly the same value as TSP on loamy soil. The uptake results of Ca phosphates were between 0 and 50%. Mg-P products from precipitation processes consistently showed a better P supply in relation to comparable Ca-P compounds. With struvite the same P uptake as for water soluble P was reached. The fertilizer effect of the tested P recycling products can clearly be differentiated: TSP = struvite > Mg-P = sinter-P > Ca-P, cupola-slag > thermally treated sewage sludge ashes > meat-and-bone meal ash = Fe-P.

Phosphorus speciation in a prairie soil amended with MBM and DDG ash: Sequential chemical extraction and synchrotron-based XANES spectroscopy investigations

Sequential chemical extraction and synchrotron-based XANES spectroscopy techniques were used to identify P species in two ashes before and after addition to a prairie soil. The used ashes were: meat and bone meal ash (MBMA) and dried distillers grains ash (DDGA) plus mineral P fertilizer (MP) for comparison. Soil treated with MP contained higher content of resin-Pi and NaHCO3-Pi followed by DDGA and MBMA. The MBMA amended soil had the highest (47%) proportion of the soil P contained in recalcitrant HCl extractable fraction, reflecting more Ca-bound P present and being formed in soil after application. Analysis of both ashes with XANES spectroscopy before application to soil revealed that MBMA had strong spectral features consistent with hydroxyapatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH)). DDGA exhibited spectral features consistent with a mixture of several Mg and K phosphate salts rather than a single mineral species. The distinctive features in the XANES spectra of both ashes largely disappeared after amendment to the soil, suggesting transformation to different P forms in the soil after application. It is also possible that the added amount of P to the studied soil via DDGS or MBMA was small enough so that P speciation is not different from the background P level.

Feasibility of Rock Phosphate and Other Amendments in Preventing P Deficiency in Barley on a P-Deficient Soil in Northeastern Saskatchewan

In the Canadian Prairies, many soils on organic farms are low in available P, and the only alternative is to use external sources to prevent P nutrient deficiency on these soils. A 3-year (2012 to 2014) field experiment was established in spring 2012 on a P-deficient soil near Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Canada, to determine the potential of organic amendments (alfalfa pellets, compost manure, thin stillage and distiller grain dry of wheat), inorganic amendments (rock phosphate granular, rock phosphate fine, wood ash and bone meal ash) and microbial inoculants/products (JumpStart® and MYKE®PRO), applied alone or in a combination with N and/or P commercial fertilizers, in preventing P deficiency and increasing seed yield, N and P uptake of barley. Compared to unfertilized control, N only treatment did not result in any significant increase in seed yield, while application of P alone increased seed yield significantly but to a lesser degree than when both N and P fertilizers were applied together in all 3 years. Rock phosphate did not result in any seed yield benefit, even when applied along with N fertilizer. Wood ash fine increased seed yield of barley significantly only in the presence of N fertilizer, with highest seed yield in the presence of both N + P fertilizers. Seed yield of barley increased moderately with alfalfa pellets, significantly with compost manure, and considerably with distiller grain dry of wheat, but highest seed yield was obtained from thin stillage, which was essentially similar to that obtained from the N + P fertilizer combination. There was no yield benefit from JumpStart or MykePro in any year and only slight benefit from bone meal ash in 2013. The addition of N fertilizer to MykePro or bone meal ash treatments increased seed yield, but highest yield was obtained when both N and P fertilizers were added, suggesting a lack of available P for optimum seed yield. With few exceptions, the response trends of total N and P uptake in seed + straw to the amendments studied were generally similar to those of seed yield. In conclusion, the organic amendment “thin stillage” provided balanced nutrition and produced yield and nutrient uptake of barley similar to balanced N + P fertilizer treatment, and it was closely followed by “distiller grain dry of wheat”, with moderate benefit from compost manure and some benefit from alfalfa pellets. In this extremely P-deficient soil, rock phosphate was not found effective in preventing P deficiency in barley, while wood ash and bone meal ash provided moderate increase in barley yield, with little yield benefit from JumpStart and MykePro, when other nutrients were not limiting in the soil.

Pengaruh Penambahan Bahan Organik dalam Pembuatan Pupuk Organik Padat Sludge Biogas Feses Sapi Perah terhadap Kandungan N, P dan K

This research aims to test the hypothesis that a combination of solid Sludge biogas from manure of dairy cows with a different ratio of water and the addition of quality-enhancing organic material can increase the content of N, P and K. This research method using a randomized block design (RBD) with 3 x 4 factorial design with two replicates. Factor A is the solid Sludge and dairy manure biogas, Factor B is the quality-enhancing organic material (blood meal, bone meal, rice husk ash and mixed). Variables observed included N-organic content, PO 4 and K 2 O. The results showed solid Sludge composting dairy manure biogas with different ratio of water and adding blood meal increased the organic content of the N-1.6135%, faecal Sludge dairy cows with a different ratio of water and the addition of bone meal to improve the content of 2.9089% PO 4 dairy manure and Sludge with different ratio of water and the addition of a mixture of organic materials (1% blood meal, bone meal ash 3% and 3%) increase the content of 0.4382% K 2 O.

Sintered silicophosphate glass ceramics from MBM ash and recycled soda–lime–silica glass

Meat and bone meal ash, mixed with recycled soda–lime–silica glass and small amounts of additives, was successfully valorised in the processing of sintered glass ceramics, after melting and forming two calcium phosphate glasses. Sintering was applied to fine powders (<37 μm) at temperatures of 700–1070°C for 0·5–2 h, after very rapid heating (40°C min−1). Mixtures with small additions of CaO and CaF2 led to fluorapatite–wollastonite glass ceramics, which retained a significant porosity even at 1070°C, due to the delay in viscous flow caused by rapid crystallisation. This feature was exploited for strong open celled macrocellular glass ceramics, obtained by sintering glass powders mixed with polyethylene sacrificial templates. Mixtures with small additions of CaO and Na2O led to dense and strong combeite glass ceramics (bending strength, >100 MPa), sinterable at particularly low temperatures (800°C). Both porous and dense glass ceramics could be exploited as low cost and high strength materials, or even as biomaterials, due to the biocompatibility of the crystal phases.