Abstract
Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae (Hermetia illucens), feeding on leachate from decaying vegetable and food scrap waste, increase ammonia (NH +4 ) concentration five- to sixfold relative to leachate unprocessed by larvae. NH +4 in larva-processed leachate reached levels as high as ∼100 mM. Most of this NH +4 appears to have come from organic nitrogen within the frass produced by the larvae as they fed on leachate. In nitrate-enriched solutions, BSF larvae also facilitate dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia. The markedly higher concentration of NH +4 recovered in leachates processed with BSF larvae and concomitant diversion of nutrients into insect biomass (itself a valuable feedstock) indicate that the use of BSF larvae in processing leachate of decaying organic waste could be advantageous in offsetting capital and environmental costs incurred in composting.
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Green, T.R., Popa, R. Enhanced Ammonia Content in Compost Leachate Processed by Black Soldier Fly Larvae. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 166, 1381–1387 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-011-9530-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-011-9530-6