Slaughterhouse Waste Research Articles

Physico-Chemical Properties of the Pyrolytic Residue Obtained by Different Treatment Conditions of Meat and Bone Meal

The depletion of phosphate rock reserves has led to the search for new, alternative and environmentally friendly products and processes. One of the safe and environmentally friendly sources of phosphate is animal bone char (ABC), the residue from the pyrolysis of meat and bone meal (MBM), a slaughterhouse waste material. The presented study investigated the physico-chemical properties of the residues (ABC) obtained from the pyrolysis of MBM under different treatment conditions. Two different end temperatures (600 °C and 1000 °C) and five different heating rates (5 °C min-1, 10 °C min-1, 20 °C min-1, 50 °C min-1 and 100 °C min-1) were used. The ABC samples obtained were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction, IR spectroscopy, elemental CHNS analysis and SEM/EDS analysis. The results showed the strong influence of both the pyrolysis end temperature and the heating rate on the morphology and chemical composition of the final products.

Anaerobic co-digestion of fruit and vegetable waste: Synergy and process stability analysis

ABSTRACT Anaerobic mono- and co-digestion of fruits and vegetable waste (FVW), slaughterhouse waste (SHW), and cattle manure (CM) under mesophilic conditions (35°C) were conducted through biochemical methane potential tests to investigate how the FVW in a co-substrate formulation improves the methane yield, the degradative synergy between substrates, and especially the stability of the process. The co-digestion of FVW:SHW and FVW:CM were evaluated with volatile solids (VS) ratios of 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1. The results indicated that the highest synergistic effect was found in the co-digestion FVW:CM at 1:1 VS ratio. However, the co-digestion FWV:SHW at 1:2 VS ratio increased the methane yield by 74.2% compared to the mono-digestion of FVW (776.3 mL CH4 g VSadded −1). As a critical condition in these processes, the stability was evaluated using the early warning indicator VFA/TA (volatile fatty acids/total alkalinity). The co-substrate SHW promotes greater stability in methane production as the soluble carbohydrate content in FVW increases. It was proposed that the high protein (49.04 ± 0.96% VS) and ammonia content (693 ± 3 mg L−1) of SHW leads to the formation of a dampening system known as a carbonate-acetic buffer. It was concluded that balanced distribution between carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids is crucial to increase methane yields, and the low methane productions were associated with low N-NH4 + concentrations (FVW:CM co-digestions). The results obtained in this study can serve as a basis to design full-scale digesters under similar operating conditions and with the same substrate:co-substrate relationships. Implications: The production of methane from the anaerobic digestion process of food, and lose waste presents a viable alternative of valorization and could help to mitigate environmental impacts. However, anaerobic digestion from these substrates carries high instabilities and low methane yields. The need to increase these yields and contribute to process stability must be considered in the selection of a co-substrate. In this context, this work aims to evaluate the best fruits and vegetable waste: co-substrateformulation, that promotes higher methane yield, a synergy between substrates, and to improve the AD process stability in the presence of perturbations in the substrate composition. We believe that our results could be helpful for the design processes for methane production from fruit and vegetable waste, to contribute to competitiveness with conventional energies and promote the sustainability of these processes.

Pan Pelletization of Bone Char Fertilizer: An Evaluation of Process Parameters and Their Effect on Granule Strength

Rock phosphorous (P) resource reduction, a high-cost increment of fertilizer bears pressure for developing countries' small-scale farmers. Extracting P from slaughterhouse waste through pyrolysis and producing bone char is a promising solution, although handling of bone char is an issue. Thus, the objective of this research was, to produce bone char fertilizer granules to avoid wide size variation of bone char particles, easy handling and transportation, and easy application of the bone char fertilizer. Primarily, bone char used for pelletization was produced in wood-fueled, barrel type pyrolysis kiln, and the samples were ground into a powder (0.25 mm) subsequently. Then, pelletization was done using DP-14 model pelletizer and using 5% solution of Corn starch as a binder. To produce the durable bone char pellet, more than 50 trials have been conducted and above 200 samples passed through different testing. Therefore, this research asserts, durable bone char fertilizer granule can be produced and the granulation technique is the possible way to produce bone char fertilizer.

Theoretical calculation of biogas production and greenhouse gas emission reduction potential of livestock, poultry and slaughterhouse waste in Bangladesh

The utilisation of available renewable resources and mitigating their impact on the environment boosts sustainable development and helps to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Biogas is a renewable energy option produced through anaerobic digestion of wastes such as livestock excreta and slaughterhouse wastes. Biogas production is treated as one of the leading processes to combat climate change as well as a waste management strategy, especially for a developing country like Bangladesh. It is also vital in meeting future demand for energy utilising indigenous sources. Livestock farming is an important economic activity in rural areas of Bangladesh. Thus, the livestock waste production, estimated biogas generation capacity, electricity generation potential, greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential, and estimated biofertiliser generation capacity of Bangladesh were determined for the financial year 2018–2019 in this study. The results show that Bangladesh had 486.77 million tons per year of animal waste products to produce 27,923.72 million m3/year biogas in 2018–2019. This biogas potential corresponds to a theoretical potential to produce a 512 PJ/year heating value and electric power of 50 TW h/year. Besides, about 29.232 million tons per year of organic fertiliser can be produced with the residues of the biogas plants. The findings of this study will contribute to guiding policymakers and governments who will concentrate on the use of animal waste in biogas industries and livestock farming as a potential bioenergy source to meet national energy demand.

Effect of Different Levels of Local Concentrated Protein Manufactured from Slaughterhouse Wastes on some Carcasses Traits of Broiler

This study was conducted to determine the effect of different levels of local concentrated protein extracted from slaughterhouse wastes on some carcasses traits of broiler. A total of 225 female broiler Ross 308 chicks, one day, were used, randomized distributed into five treatments, with three replicates per treatment (15 chicks each replicate). The treatments were as follows: T1; basal diet contains 4% imported protein. T2; basal diet contains 2% imported protein+2% local manufactured protein. T3; basal diet contains 4% local manufactured protein. T4; basal diet contains 6% local manufactured protein. T5; basal diet contains 8% local manufactured protein. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the treatments on the carcass weight, dressing percentage, relative weights of the thigh and breast, as well as the relative weight of the abdominal fat. There were no significant differences among all treatments for the sensory traits of the thigh and breast. In conclusion, the locally manufactured animal protein extraction had no negative significant effect on the characteristics of carcasses and could be used as an efficient alternative to imported protein concentration used in broiler diets.

Improving the quality of wastewater in traditional chicken slaughterhouses using moringa seed powder

In the city of Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, there are hundreds of home-based chicken slaughtering industries. The slaughtering process produces liquid waste from washing chicken and equipment mixed with feces, blood, traces of protein, and fat. This waste contains high concentrations of organic material, dissolved solids, pathogenic microorganisms, and other hazardous substances that can pollute the environment. The environmental damage that occurs will adversely affect the health of humans and the surrounding animals. This study aims to determine the effect of Moringa seed powder on the quality of traditional chicken slaughterhouse waste in terms of pH, Total Suspended Solid (TSS), and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). This study used a randomized group design with a split time pattern. The results showed that the concentration of Moringa seed powder of 200 mg/L with a deposition time of 60 minutes made the pH of wastewater close to normal pH, and also significantly reduced TSS and TDS (P<0.05). It can be concluded that moringa seed powder can improve the quality of traditional chicken slaughterhouse wastewater.

C-offset and crop energy efficiency increase due industrial poultry waste use in long-term no-till soil minimizing environmental pollution.

Brazil is one of the major global poultry producers, and the organic waste generated by the chicken slaughterhouses can potentially be used as a biofertilizer in agriculture. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that continuous use of biofertilizer to the crops, substituting the use of mineral fertilizer promote C-offset for the soil and generate crop energy efficiency for the production system. Thus, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of biofertilizer use alone or in combination with mineral fertilizer on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, carbon dioxide (CO2) mitigation, C-offset, crop energy efficiency and productivity, and alleviation of environmental pollution. The experiment was established in southern Brazil on a soil under 15 years of continuous no-till (NT). Experimental treatments were as follows: i) Control with no fertilizer application, ii) 100% use of industrial mineral fertilizer (Min-F); iii) 100% use of organic waste originated from poultry slaughterhouses and hereinafter designated biofertilizer (Bio-F), and iv) Mixed fertilizer equivalent to the use of 50% mineral fertilizer+50% of biofertilizer (Mix-F). Effects of experimental treatments were assessed for the crop sequence based on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), soybean (Glycine max) and corn (Zea mays) in the summer and wheat (Triticum aestivum) and black oat (Avena strigosaSchreb) in the winter composing two crops per year, as follow: bean/wheat-soybean/black oat-corn/wheat-soybean/black oat-corn/wheat-bean. The continuous use of Bio-F treatment significantly increased the index of crop energy efficiency. It was higher than that of control, and increased it by 25.4Mg CO2eq ha-1 over that of Min-F treatment because of higher inputs of crop biomass-C into the system. Further, continuous use of Bio-F resulted in a significantly higher CO2eq stock and offset than those for Min-F treatment. A positive relationship between the C-offset and the crop energy efficiency (R2=0.71, p<0.001) indicated that the increase of C-offset was associated with the increase of energy balance and the amount of SOC sequestered. The higher energy efficiency and C-offset by application of Bio-F indicated that the practice of crop bio fertilization with poultry slaughterhouse waste is a viable alternative for recycling and minimizing the environmental impacts.

Potential Viable Products Identified from Characterisation of Agricultural Slaughterhouse Rendering Wastewater

The composition of challenging matrices must be fully understood in order to determine the impact of the matrix and to establish suitable treatment methods. Rendering condensate wastewater is a complex matrix which is understudied. It is produced when the vapour from rendering facilities (heat processing of slaughterhouse waste material) is cooled as a liquid for discharge. This study offers a full physicochemical characterisation of rendering condensate wastewater and its potential for valorisation via production of viable by-products. A study of seasonal variation of levels of dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen and ammonia was carried out on the wastewater. The results show that the wastewater was high strength all year-round, with a chemical oxygen demand of 10,813 ± 427 mg/L and high concentrations of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (1745 ± 90 mg/L), ammonia (887 ± 21 mg/L), crude protein (10,911 ± 563 mg/L), total phosphorous (51 ± 1 mg/L), fat and oil (11,363 ± 934 mg/L), total suspended solids (336 ± 73 mg/L) and total dissolved solids (4397 ± 405 mg/L). This characterisation demonstrates the requirement for adequate treatment of the condensate before releasing it to the environment. While there is a reasonably constant flow rate and dissolved oxygen level throughout the year, higher chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen and ammonia levels were found in the warmer summer months. From this study, rendering condensate slaughterhouse wastewater is shown to have potential for production of marketable goods. These products may include ammonium sulphate fertilizer, protein supplements for animal feeds and recovery of acetic acid calcium hydroxyapatite, thus enhancing both the financial and environmental sustainability of slaughterhouse operations. This work demonstrates a valuable assessment of a complex wastewater, while taking advantage of on-site access to samples and process data to inform the potential for wastewater reuse.

Assessment of biogas generation potential from slaughterhouse wastes in Dhaka city, Bangladesh

Slaughterhouse waste is a highly energy-rich waste and is an attractive material to treat through anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. Biogas could be burned to provide heating and electricity or can be converted to bio-methane to be used as fuel. It can also aid in waste management and evidently reduce the ecological and environmental hazards. In this paper, the potential of biogas generation from the slaughterhouses in Dhaka is investigated. Slaughterhouses in 21 regions in Dhaka city have been surveyed for data collection and analysis. The study estimates that approximately 7915 tons of slaughterhouse waste are generated annually from the slaughterhouses in Dhaka city which has the potential to generate 2.15 Mm3 of biogas. A case study on the biggest government registered slaughterhouse is also demonstrated regarding generating electricity.

Potential for the production of biofuels from agricultural waste, livestock, and slaughterhouse waste in Golestan province, Iran

The causes of global warming and the opposite solutions are among the issues discussed in scientific societies around the world. Also, one of the best options to take advantage of the huge potential of biomass is to use energy from biomass sources such as biogas. Biogas can be produced from anaerobic fermentation of organic waste, agricultural waste, and animal waste. The aim of this study was to investigate the production capacity of biofuels in Golestan province from agricultural crop residues as well as animal wastes including animal and poultry manures and slaughterhouse wastes. The results of research in Golestan province showed that 339.63 million m3 can be produced annually from agricultural crop residues, 103.13–353.16 million m3 from animal manure and poultry manure, and 362.61 million m3 of slaughterhouse waste, respectively. Finally, a total of 2085.35 million kWh of electricity can be generated per year. The results of this study could be the beginning of further research and help to take a proper approach to government policies in the field of renewable energy.

Effect of mixing ratios of natural inorganic additives in removing ammonia and sulfide in the liquid phase during anaerobic digestion of slaughterhouse waste

In this study, the efficacy of inorganic additives in the removal of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and sulfide in the aqueous phase of slaughterhouse waste undergoing anaerobic digestion in the batch reactor was investigated. A mixture of natural inorganic additives processed from the anthill and red rock soil samples collected from Arusha, Tanzania were used as adsorbents in different ratios. These materials were chosen in regard to their abundance in the local environment, surface properties, and elemental composition. Before analysis, the materials were pulverized and calcined at 700 and 900 °C for 2 h in a furnace and then sieved to 250 μm fine particle size. XRD analysis revealed that the anthill soil sample is endowed with major mineral phases of quartz and hematite while red rock soil contains albite, pyroxene, and quartz as predominant phases. The anthill and red rock soil samples calcined at 900 °C displayed higher BET surface areas of 815.35 and 852.35 m2/g, respectively. The mixture of anthill soil and red rock soil in a ratio of 3:1 had a higher TAN removal efficiency of 92% at a contact time of 30 min compared to other ratios. On the other hand, a ratio of 1:2 showed a higher sulfide removal efficiency of 79% at a contact time of 60 min. Adsorption isotherm studies revealed that the Jovanovich model fitted better to the experimental data than the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The results demonstrated further that inorganic additives have a synergistic effect on stimulating methanogenesis as well as eliminating ammonia and sulfide during anaerobic digestion of slaughterhouse waste. Our findings demonstrate that anthill and red rock soils can be exploited as affordable, ecofriendly, and efficient adsorbents for mitigation of TAN and sulfide from the liquid phase and sustenance of methanogenesis.

Evaluating input parameter effects on the overall anaerobic co-digestion performance of abattoir and winery solid wastes

This study focused on biochemical methane potential (BMP) from recalcitrant abattoir and winery solid wastes, to evaluate the effects of various input parameters on the overall anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) performance. Standard BMP protocols were employed. The parameters evaluated were co-substrate-ratio of abattoir solid (As), winery solid (Ws) and cow blood (Cb) in binary and ternary combinations (1:1, 2:3 and 1:1:3), food-to-microorganism ratio (F/M) (0.5–2) and volatile solids (VS) concentration (5–20 gVSL−1). A combination of zebra dung and ruminal contents served as inoculum. Methane production was simulated by curve-fitting kinetic models. Highest methane yields of 369.56 and 354.13 NmLCH4/gVSadded were obtained from co-digested substrates AsWs and CbWs respectively. All models used showed methane production profiles with over 90% accuracy. An increase in F/M and VS concentration reduced the overall digestion performance. This suggests an improvement in the valorisation of abattoir and winery wastes for full-scale AD plants.

Life-cycle assessment of treating slaughterhouse waste using anaerobic digestion systems

The meat industry in the US generates considerable amount of slaughterhouse waste (SHW), which is typically converted into more useable products through the rendering process. Although rendering generates sellable fat and meal commodities, it has large environmental impacts because it is energy intensive. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technology for treating SHW and reducing environmental impact through biogas production to generate heat or electricity, as well as by enabling nutrient recovery and pathogen reduction. This study compared the life-cycle energy use and global warming impact of treating SHW with traditional rendering with AD to produce heat and electricity. The study also considered the co-digestion of SHW with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and sewage sludge. A cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to quantify the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of these systems for treating SHW. We compared three scenarios: (1) AD of SHW, (2) Co-AD of SHW with OFMSW, and (3) Co-AD of SHW with sewage sludge to reference systems of simple rendering and composting. The study findings revealed that the total cradle-to-gate energy use and GHG emissions by treating SHW with AD and co-AD were 0.5−6.7 GJ/1000 kg-SHW and 400−834 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW, whereas for the rendering control scenarios total cradle-to-gate energy use and GHG emissions were 1.9 GJ/1000 kg-SHW and 96.4 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW, respectively. However, considering all the benefits of treating SHW with co-AD, including the displacement of fossil fuel and electricity and nitrogen fertilizers generated as system outputs, these systems perform better than the rendering process. Compared to the reference systems, the GHG reduction potential of treating SHW with co-AD varied between 426.8 and 524.0 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW. Among all input parameters, methane (CH₄) leak from the AD system, and nitrogen fertilizer displacement were the most sensitive parameters affecting the results. By implementing AD of SHW in meat industries in the southeast US, the energy production and GHG emissions reduction potential were estimated to be 22–29 × 10⁶ GJ and 1.6–2.0 × 10 9 kg-CO₂-eq per year, respectively. The results indicate that the AD of SHW can substantially reduce GHG emissions of the US meat industry as well as produce bioenergy to provide energy security in the US. • Co-AD of SHW with a co-substrate can produce energy of 6.03–7.60 GJ/1000 kg-SHW. • Co-AD of SHW with sewage sludge can reduce up to 524.0 kg-CO₂-eq/1000 kg-SHW. • Methane leak and fertilizer displacement substantially impact GHG emissions of AD. • AD of SHW in the southeast US can reduce GHG emissions by 2.0 × 10⁹ kg-CO₂-eq/year.

Application of recycled slaughterhouse wastes as an organic fertilizer for successive cultivations of bell pepper and amaranth

The effects of ‘bovine-blood-rumen-digesta-mixture’ (BBRDM), an organic fertilizer prepared from recycled rural slaughterhouse wastes on the yield of vegetable crops and soil health were studied. Sophisticated waste management technologies are difficult to apply in rural abattoirs due to poor infrastructure and low waste generation resulting in environmental as well as human health hazards. Bovine blood and rumen digesta (3:1) were mixed and dried at 100−120 °C for 6−8 hours using a tray dryer to obtain BBRDM (N/P/K = 7.63:1:1.16; C/N = 4.68). Application of 6 g BBRDM kg−1 of soil showed two-fold higher yields of bell pepper in comparison with the control as well as N/P/K = 10:26:26+urea treatment. Plants fertilized with 13 g BBRDM kg−1 of soil died after second phase of application due to the presence of labile C fraction in BBRDM. Crop yield was two-fold higher during residual cultivation of amaranth after 12 weeks of bell pepper cultivation in soils treated with BBRDM in comparison to the other treatments. The abundance, diversity and composition of bacterial communities were superior in soils fertilized with BBRDM compared to soils cultivated with chemical fertilizer as revealed by V3-V4 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Air-soil methane fluxes recorded in soils of the abattoir waste dumping sites ranged from 13.13–28.55 μg g−1 hr−1 which were around 150 times higher than those emitted from soils of BBRDM treated bell pepper pots. Recycled slaughterhouse wastes promoted healthy growth of plants and abundance of soil beneficial microbes. This recycling methodology may be advantageously adopted in rural slaughterhouses.

Extraction of Fat and Fatty Acid Composition from Slaughterhouse Waste by Evaluating Conventional Analytical Methods

To attain maximum recovery of useful compounds from slaughterhouse waste (Suet, Tongue, Pancreas) of selected ruminant (cow, goat, lamb, and bull), the fat extraction efficiency of popular methods was compared along with fatty acid (FAs) composition. Four selected methods including Soxhlet (SOX), acid hydrolysis, Bligh & dyer (B&D), and Folch (FOL) were assessed. After methylation, extracted lipids were analyzed by Gas chromatography for FA composition. Data indicated that all selected methods were significantly (p < 0.05) different from each other, particularly higher differences were noticed for low lipid-containing products (Tongue, Pancreas) as well as their respective FA Composition. Based on Analysis of Variance and Principal component analysis, the effective method for lipid and FA Composition analysis was the FOL method. The Soxhlet method was only effective for samples with high-fat content i.e., suet, while the B&D method gave comparatively low lipid content in analyzed samples. Hence based on the results, excellent fat and fatty acid extraction was achieved with the FOL method.

Heavy Metal Bioaccumulation by Maize Grown on a Ferralsol Amended with Urban-Based Biosolid Wastes

Organic waste materials as soil amendments are one of the topical approaches applauded for achieving sustainable agriculture world-over. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of urban-based biosolid waste (UBBW) application on heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb) bioaccumulation by maize (Zea mays L.) plants. A pot experiment was conducted three times, using an acid Ferralsol from Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute, Kabanyolo (MUARIK) in Uganda. Treatments included the application of three types of UBBW, namely sewage, brewery and abattoir, each applied independently at the rates of 0, 50 and 100 g per pot filled with 4 kg soil. This was equivalent to 0, 2.5 and 5.0 metric tonnes of dry materials per hectare. Phosphorus fertiliser was also applied at 0, 0.795 and 1.591 g P per pot, equivalent to rates of 0, 25 and 50 kg P ha-1. The brewery waste applied at rates ≥ 2.5 t·ha-1 and phosphorus at 25 kg P ha-1 resulted in shoot Cu concentrations below the World Health Organisation (WHO) safe limit (73.3 mg·kg-1); and Zn slightly above the WHO safe limit (99.4 mg·kg-1). In contrast, the concentrations of chromium in the maize plants were well above the WHO safe limit (2.3 mg·kg-1), irrespective of the applied type of UBBW. Shoot metal bioaccumulation followed the order zinc > copper > chromium, with Pb being below the detection limit. The safest UBBW was abattoir waste; while the least environmentally suitable was sewage waste. It is clear that irrespective of the type of UBBW, their application to Ferralsol causes less bioaccumulation of Pb and Cr in maize plants compared to Zn and Cu.

Fast and Direct Microwave Synthesis of Carbon from Bovine Blood Waste: A Feedstock Material for Extractive Metallurgy, Carbon Dots Production and Graphite Synthesis

Direct irradiation of slaughterhouse bovine blood waste in a domestic microwave oven results in fast carbonization and subsequent formation of carbon nanosheets at yield of 2% after copiously washing off any by-products. Since nearly 5 billion L of slaughterhouse bovine blood is globally produced every year as inevitable part of meat production, the total amount of carbon that could be annually produced by this simple and cost-effective microwave technology reaches the impressive value of 100,000 metric tons per year, albeit the relatively low carbon yield of the process. This large quantity of carbon with well-defined structure and composition could be further exploited in carbothermal extractive metallurgy (e.g., the extraction of copper from copper oxide) or as a cheap and plentiful raw material towards the production of other important carbon materials, such as photoluminescent carbon dots, synthetic graphite and graphene. The direct, simple and affordable microwave conversion of bovine blood waste into useful carbon material represents another example of blood waste valorization that is complementary to the extraction of bioactive compounds for the food or pharmaceuticals industry. It is interesting to note that the same microwave approach can be applied as well for the direct and fast carbonization of expired over the counter medicines, such-like drug effervescent tablets (e.g., analgesic paracetamol), giving carbon at high yield with useful properties (e.g., hexavalent chromium removal).

The Use of Rumen Contents as Bio–Activators for Fermentation in Goat Manure Fertilizer Production

Slaughterhouse waste cause environmental problems. Rumen content comprise a lot of enzymes of potential bacteria as bio–activators in the process of making goat manure fertilizer. The study aimed to evaluate the quality of goat manure fertilizer added with rumen content. The materials used were goat manure and cattle rumen contents. The research method uses a Completely Randomized Designed (CRD). The percentages of cattle rumen contents treatments i.e. 0 %, 5 %, 10 % and 15 %. The variables measured were Nitrogen (N), Phosphor (P), Potassium (K), Carbon organic, C/N ratio and moisture content. The results showed, the addition of rumen contents had a very significant effect (p &lt; 0.01) on C organic, P, N, and C/N, but had no significant (p &gt; 0.05) on K and moisture content. The results showed that the best treatment was addition of 15 % rumen, that had N 1.59 %, P 0.15 %, K 0.72 %, C organic 30.60 %, C/N 19.24 %, and moisture content 45.86 %. This content had fulfilled SNI 19–7030–2004 for goat manure fertilizer. It could be concluded that giving rumen contents could increase N, P, K, C organic and decrease C/N and moisture content.

Haematology and growth performance characteristics of broiler birds fed abattoir wastes (bovine blood and rumen content)

This study was conducted to assess the effects of abattoir wastes (bovine blood and rumen content mixture) on the haematology and growth performance characteristics of broiler birds. One hundred and twenty (120) unsexed day old Abor acre broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 4 treatments and replicated 3 times in a completely randomized design (CRD) experiment. Four experimental diets were formulated to meet the nutrient requirement of broilers such that the birds were fed sundried abattoir waste (bovine blood and rumen content mixture) included at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% representing Diet 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively, with Diet 1 as the control. Each dietary treatment consists of 30 birds with 10 birds per replicate. The experimental diets and clean water were supplied at- libitum throughout the experimental period. Data were collected on feed intake, daily weight gain, final body weight, weight gain. Feed conversion ratios were calculated. Blood samples for hematology was collected, analyzed and recorded. At the end of the 56 days feeding trials, data collected on different parameters were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results showed that mixtures of bovine blood and rumen content significantly (P&lt;0.05) improved the final weight (1767.02g -1931.44g), weight gain (1367.02g -1528.44g), feed intake (107.47g -118.99g) and feed conversion ratio (4.87 – 4.08) of the broilers. Significant (P&lt;0.05) improvements were observed on the RBC, WBC, MCV, MCH, eosinophyls and the lymphocytes of the haematological parameters of the broilers. These results showed the complementary potentials of bovine blood and rumen content mixture in broiler diets, which can be included up to 15% in the ration of broilers without detrimentally affecting the growth performance and haematology of the broilers.

Exploring perceptions of environmental professionals, plastic processors, students and consumers of bio-based plastics: Informing the development of the sector

Bio-based plastics are produced from bio-based raw materials such as sugar cane, potatoes, corn, and agricultural and slaughterhouse waste. The evolution of the bio-based plastics market is affected by the stakeholders involved owing to their role in production processes, environmental guidelines and purchasing decisions. It is therefore imperative to understand the perceptions of stakeholders in order to inform the development of the bio-based plastics sector. This novel exploratory study investigates the perceptions and opinions of three stakeholder groups: environmental professionals and plastic processors; university students; and consumers in Belfast, Northern Ireland. During the focus groups (25 participants in total), samples of bio-based plastics, including starch-based monolayer and multilayer, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), were presented. A qualitative analysis using the framework method revealed that environmental professionals and plastic processors were aware of both the benefits of bio-based plastics, such as a reduction in use of fossil fuels; and the challenges, which include the utilisation of agricultural land for biomass substrates and possible contamination of current conventional plastic recycling streams. Although there was a general lack of knowledge among students and consumers about bio-based plastics, they conveyed their beliefs that the use of agricultural waste will lead to closed-loop systems, resulting in a balanced approach to production and waste management. Some students and consumers, raised concerns about contamination of food by bio-based packaging prepared from slaughterhouse waste. However, these participants supported the use of slaughterhouse waste in the production of bio-based plastics for non-food contact items. The students and consumers and some of the environmental professionals and plastic processors were reluctant to pay more for bio-based plastics. The results indicate that manufacturers of bio-based plastics could benefit from informing consumers about the environmental impacts of beginning-of-life parameters, such as production processes and feedstocks, by using life cycle assessment parameters. This should be incorporated into information provided on labelling using standards from neutral organisations. This research could inform future communication strategies around bio-based plastics with both the public and industry.