Summary
The effect of adding alkaline hydrolysate of sheep’s wool waste on the chemical and microbiological properties of a park soil (Sofia, Bulgaria) has been assessed in a 9 month laboratory experiment. The waste product contained 75–80% water-soluble materials: peptides, amino acids, salts, dyes, lipids, some carbohydrates, potassium ions, and it seemed likely that the hydrolysate obtained could be used as a harmless and valuable fertilizer in agriculture. It was demonstrated that the organic material positively influenced microbial soil populations and ryegrass growth. As the remaining partially degraded keratin is highly dispersed it should act as a slow release fertilizer thus feeding plants additionally. The results suggest that the wool hydrolysate is beneficial for improving soil characteristics and could successfully be used as alternative biofertilizer. The authors hope that by utilization of the keratin wastes, the environment around leather and fur plants could be influenced positively and that the expense of removing the wastes to controlled landfill sites and part of the expenses for sustaining the latter will be saved.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adler-Nissen J., 1979 Determination of the degree of hydrolysis of food protein hydrolysates by trinitrobenzenesulfonic acidJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 27: 1256–1262
Arai K., Naito S., Dang V.B., Nagasawa N., Hirano M., 1996 Cross-linking structure of keratin. VI. Number, type, and location of disulfide cross linkages in low-sulfur protein of wool fiber and their relation to permanent setJournal of Applied Polymer Science 60: 169–179
Baker D.E. & Shur N.H. 1982 Atomic absorption and flame emission spectrometry In Page A.L., et al., eds. Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 2, Chemical and Microbiological Properties, AgronomyA Series of Monographs, pt. 2, Soil Wisconsin USA: Science Society of AmericaMadison pp. 13–27. ISBN 0-89118072-9
Bujang K.B., Lopez-Real J.M., 1993 Composting for the treatment of cattle wastesCompost Science and Utilization 1: 38–40
Cabeza L.F., Taylor M.M., DiMaio G.L., Brown E.M., Marmer W.N., Carrió R., Celma P.J., Cot J., 1998 Processing of leather waste: pilot scale studies on chrome shavings. Isolation of potentially valuable protein products and chromiumWaste Management 18: 211–218
Campbell C.A., Zentner R.P., 1993 Soil organic matter as influenced by crop rotations and fertilizationSoil Science Society of America Journal 57: 1934–1040
Cook B.D., Allan D.L., 1992 Dissolved organic matter in old field soils: total amounts as a measure of available resources for soil mineralizationSoil Biology and Biochemistry 24: 585–494
Dubois M., Gilles K.A., Hamilton J.K., Rebers P.A., Smith T., 1956 Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substancesAnalytical Chemistry 28: 350–356
Eaton A.D., Lenore S.C., Greenberg A.E., 1995 Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (19). American Public Health Association Washington, DC ISBN 0875532233
Fuchs ,J.G., Bieri, M. & Chardonnens, M. 2004 Effects of compost and digestate on the environment, soil fertility and plant health. In Review of the Current Literature, pp. 1–16. Schwitzerland: FiBL CH-Frick, ISBN 3-906081
Garcia C., Hernandez T., Costa F., Barahona A., 1996 Organic matter characteristics and nutrient content in eroded soilsEnvironmental Management 20: 133–141
García-Gil J.C., Plaza C., Senesi N., Brunetti G., Polo A., 2004 Effects of sewage sludge amendment on humic acids and microbiological properties of a semiarid Mediterranean soilBiology and Fertility of Soils 39: 320–328
Gauze G.F., Preobrazhenskaya M.A., Svesnikova L.P., Terechova L., Maximova T.S., 1983 Key to Actinomycetes Nauka Publishers Moscow
Gousterova A., Nustorova M., Goshev I., Christov P., Braikova D., Tishinov K., Haertle T., Nedkov P., 2003 Alkaline hydrolysate of waste sheep wool aimed as fertilizerBiotechnology and Biotechnological Equipment 17: 140–145
Grace P.R., Ladd J.N., Skjemstad J.O., 1994 The effect of management practices on soil organic matter dynamics In Pankhurst C.E., Doube B.M., Gupta V.V.S.R., Grace P.R., ed. Soil Biota, Management in Sustainable Farming Systems CSIRO Information Services Melbourne, Victoria, Australia pp.162–170. ISBN 0643055991
Hallmann J., Rodriguez-Kabana R., Kloepper J.W., 1999 Chitin-mediated changes in bacterial communities of the soil, rhizosphere and within roots of cotton in relation to nematode controlSoil Biology and Biochemistry 31: 551–560
Herrman R.F., Shann J.F., 1997 Microbial community changes during the composting of municipal solid wasteMicrobial Ecology 33: 78–85
Ishii K., Fukui M., Takii S., 2000 Microbial succession during a composting process as evaluated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysisJournal of Applied Microbiology 89: 768–777
Jou C.J.G., Chen Y.S., Wang H.P., Lin K.S., Tai H.S., 1999 Hydrolytic dissociation of hog-hair by microwave radiationBioresource Technology 70: 111–113
Kosmachev, A.E. 1954 Thermophilic actinomycetes and their antagonistic properties. Ph.D. thesis, Inst. Mikrobiol, Moscow (in Russian)
Kowalchuk G.A., Naoumenko Z.S., Derikx P.J., Felske A., Stephen J.R., Arkhipchenko I.A., 1999 Molecular analysis of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria of the β-subdivision of the class Proteobacteria in compost and composted materials Applied and Environmental Microbiology 65: 396–403
Mansour, S.R. 2003 The occurence and distribution of soil actinomycetes in Saint Catherine. Area, South Sinai, Egypt. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 6, 721–728
Onifade A.A., Al-Sane N.A., Al-Mussallam A.A., Al-Zarbam S., 1998 Potential for biotechnological application of keratin-degrading microorganisms and their enzymes for nutritional improvement of feathers and other keratins as livestock feed resourcesBioresource Technology 66: 1–11
Paluszak Z., Olszewska H., 2000 Microbiological analysis of lessive soil fertilised with animal wasteElectronic Journal of Polish Agricultural Universities 3: 1–9
Pascual J.A., Garcia C., Hernandez T., Ayuso M., 1997 Changes in the microbial activity of an arid soil amended with urban organic wastesBiology and Fertility of Soils 24: 429–434
Parry D.A., Crewther W.G., Fraser R.D., MacRae T.P., 1977 Structure of α-keratin: structural implication of the amino acid sequences of the type I and type II chain segmentsJournal of Molecular Biology 113: 449–454
Rochette P., Gregorich E.G., 1998 Dynamics of soil microbial biomass C, soluble organic C and CO2 evolution after three years of manure application Canadian Journal of Soil Science 78: 283–290
Ros M., Hernandez M.T., Garcia C., 2003 Soil microbial activity after restoration of a semiarid soil by organic amendmentsSoil Biology and Biochemistry 35: 463–469
Ryckeboer J., Mergaert J., Coosemans J., Deprins K., Swings J., 2003 Microbiological aspects of biowaste during composting in monitored compost bin Journal of Applied Microbiology 94: 127–137
Schloss P.D., Hay A.G., Wilson D.B., Walker L.P., 2003 Tracking temporal changes of bacterial community fingerprints during the initial stages of composting FEMS Microbiology Ecology 46: 1–9
Shih J.C.H., 1993 Recent developments in poultry waste digestion and feather utilization – a review Poultry Science 72: 1617–1620
Smith L.J., Papendick R.I., 1993 Soil organic matter dynamics and crop residue management In Blaine Metting F.J., ed. Soil Microbial Ecology Applications in Agricultural and Environmental Management Marcel DekkerNew York pp.65–94. ISBN 0824787374
Sullivan, P. 2001 Alternative Soil Amendments. In ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, p. 12
Tsiroulnikov K., Resai H., Bonch-Osmolovskaya E., Nedkov P., Gousterova A., Cueff V., Godfroy A., Barbier G., Metro F., Chobert J.-M., Clayette P., Dormont D., Grosclaude J., Haertle T., 2004 Hydrolysis of the amyloid prion protein and nonpathogenic meat and bone meal by anaerobic thermophilic prokaryotes and Streptomyces subspeciesJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 52: 6353–6360
Vignardet C., Guillaume Y.C., Michel L., Friedrich J., Millet J., 2001 Comparison of two hard keratinous substrates submitted to the action of a keratinase using an experimental designInternational Journal of Pharmaceutics 224: 115–122
Watanabe K., Hayano K., 1993 Distribution and identification of proteolytic Bacillus spp. in paddy field soil under rice cultivationCanadian Journal of Microbiology 39: 674–680
White, H.F., Cranston, R.W. & Money, C.A. 1991 Possible applications of the hair recovered from the SiroLIMETM process – (Part 2). XXI IULTCS Congress Barcelona, 25–29 September
Zvyagintsev D.G., Aseeva I., Baboeva I., Mirching T., 1980 Methods of Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry University Press Moscow p. 224
Acknowledgement
This investigation was partially supported by project SS-1210 of the Bulgarian Fund for Science and Technology which is highly appreciated.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nustorova, M., Braikova, D., Gousterova, A. et al. Chemical, microbiological and plant analysis of soil fertilized with alkaline hydrolysate of sheep’s wool waste. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 22, 383–390 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-005-9045-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-005-9045-9