Abstract
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of recycling large quantities of industrial eggshell waste through turned windrows composting in order to obtain a value-added soil improver. For that, four different formulations were tested to produce stable composts with adequate properties to be further used for agronomic applications such as amendment in soils with acid characteristics and/or with low calcium concentration. The eggshell waste is mainly an inorganic animal by-product, and thus its co-composting was conducted with farm wastes (horse and chicken manures) and grass clipping. The windrows were aerated periodically and monitored during 50 days regarding temperature, moisture, pH, conductivity, and carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N). The thermophilic phase lasted for 10–20 days. At the end, moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, C/N ratio, and toxic heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn) were determined. The microbiological assessment involved total mesophilic heterotrophic bacteria, total coliform bacteria, thermotolerant coliform bacteria, E.coli and spores of sulphite-reducing clostridia. The assessment of maturity based on germination index and stability by using Dewar self-heating test and respirometry showed that all the composts were mature and stable, with adequate properties for agronomic applications. This study evidenced that large quantities (up to 30 % in weight) of eggshell waste may be converted into calcium-rich marketable compost by thermophilic windrows composting.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Consulting, A.C.: Study on the socio-economic implications of the various systems to keep laying hens-final report for The European Commission (2004)
Park, H.J., Jeong, S.W., Yang, J.K., Kim, B.G., Lee, S.M.: Removal of heavy metals using waste eggshell. J. Environ. Sci. 19, 1436–1441 (2007)
Mezenner, N.Y., Bensmaili, A.: Kinetics and thermodynamic study of phosphate adsorption on iron hydroxide-eggshell waste. Chem. Eng. J. 147, 87–96 (2009)
Tsai, W.-T., Hsien, K.-J., Hsu, H.-C., Lin, C.-M., Lin, K.-Y., Chiu, C.-H.: Utilization of ground eggshell waste as an adsorbent for the removal of dyes from aqueous solution. Bioresour. Technol. 99, 1623–1629 (2008)
Jones, D., Gittins, J.: Utilisation of Egg shell Waste from UK Egg Processing and Hatchery Establishments. ADAS Consulting Ltd, London (2002)
Larney, F.J., Yanke, L.J., Miller, J.J., McAllister, T.A.: Fate of coliform bacteria in composted beef cattle feedlot manure. J. Environ. Qual. 32, 1508–1515 (2003)
Chroni, C., Kyriacou, A., Manios, T., Lasaridi, K.-E.: Investigation of the microbial community structure and activity as indicators of compost stability and composting process evolution. Bioresour. Technol. 100, 3745–3750 (2009)
Farrell, M., Jones, D.L.: Critical evaluation of municipal solid waste composting and potential compost markets. Bioresour. Technol. 100, 4301–4310 (2009)
Kumar, K.N., Goel, S.: Characterization of municipal solid waste (MSW) and a proposed management plan for Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 53, 166–174 (2009)
Sánchez-Arias, V., Fernández, F.J., Villaseñor, J., Rodríguez, L.: Enhancing the co-composting of olive mill wastes and sewage sludge by the addition of an industrial waste. Bioresour. Technol. 99, 6346–6353 (2008)
Sellami, F., Jarboui, R., Hachicha, S., Medhioub, K., Ammar, E.: Co-composting of oil exhausted olive-cake, poultry manure and industrial residues of agro-food activity for soil amendment. Bioresour. Technol. 99, 1177–1188 (2008)
Stadelman, W.J.: Eggs and egg products. In: Francis, F.J. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York (2000)
Kemper, N.P., Goodwin Jr, H.L.: Feasibility and production costs of composting breeder and pullet litter with eggshell waste. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 18, 172–184 (2009)
FCQAO: Methods book for the analysis of compost. Kompost-Information Nr. 230. Budesgutegemeinschaft Kompost e.V. (1994)
Alburquerque, J.A., Gonzálvez, J., García, D., Cegarra, J.: Measuring detoxification and maturity in compost made from “alperujo”, the solid by-product of extracting olive oil by the two-phase centrifugation system. Chemosphere 64, 470–477 (2006)
Lasaridi, K.E., Stentiford, E.I.: A simple respirometric technique for assessing compost stability. Water Res. 32, 3717–3723 (1998)
Huang, G.F., Wong, J.W.C., Wu, Q.T., Nagar, B.B.: Effect of C/N on composting of pig manure with sawdust. Waste Manage. (Oxford) 24, 805–813 (2004)
Zhu, N.: Effect of low initial C/N ratio on aerobic composting of swine manure with rice straw. Bioresour. Technol. 98, 9–13 (2007)
Liang, C., Das, K.C., McClendon, R.W.: The influence of temperature and moisture contents regimes on the aerobic microbial activity of a biosolids composting blend. Bioresour. Technol. 86, 131–137 (2003)
Bustamante, M.A., Paredes, C., Marhuenda-Ege, F.C., Pérez-Espinosa, A., Bernal, M.P., Moral, R.: Co-composting of distillery wastes with animal manures: carbon and nitrogen transformations in the evaluation of compost stability. Chemosphere 72, 551–557 (2008)
Li, X., Zhang, R., Pang, Y.: Characteristics of dairy manure composting with rice straw. Bioresour. Technol. 99, 359–367 (2008)
Zhu, N., Deng, C., Xiong, Y., Qian, H.: Performance characteristics of three aeration systems in the swine manure composting. Bioresour. Technol. 95, 319–326 (2004)
Yañez, R., Alonso, J.L., Díaz, M.J.: Influence of bulking agent on sewage sludge composting process. Bioresour. Technol. 100, 5827–5833 (2009)
Ko, H.J., Kim, K.Y., Kim, H.T., Kim, C.N., Umeda, M.: Evaluation of maturity parameters and heavy metal contents in composts made from animal manure. Waste Manage. (Oxford) 28, 813–820 (2008)
Bustamante, M.A., Moral, R., Paredes, C., Vargas-García, M.C., Suárez-Estrella, F., Moreno, J.: Evolution of the pathogen content during co-composting of winery and distillery wastes. Bioresour. Technol. 99, 7299–7306 (2008)
Hassen, A., Belguith, K., Jedidi, N., Cherif, A., Cherif, M., Boudabous, A.: Microbial characterization during composting of municipal solid waste. Bioresour. Technol. 80, 217–225 (2001)
Komilis, D.P., Tziouvaras, I.S.: A statistical analysis to assess the maturity and stability of six composts. Waste Manage. (Oxford) 29, 1504–1513 (2009)
Acknowledgments
The CERNAS is supported by National Funds through FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology under the project “PEst-OE/AGR/UI0681/2011".
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Quina, M.J., Soares, M.A.R., Ribeiro, A.A. et al. Feasibility Study on Windrow Co-composting to Recycle Industrial Eggshell Waste. Waste Biomass Valor 5, 87–95 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-013-9211-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-013-9211-5