producing organic based fertilizers from...

Compost Council of Canada BC Workshop 2014

Producing Organic Based

Fertilizers from Biosolids

John Paul

Transform Compost Systems

http://johnpaulprofessional.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/new-round-ball-fertilizer.jpg


Producing Organic Based

Fertilizers from Biosolids

Organic based fertilizers – a

blend of organic and chemical

fertilizers.

In organic based fertilizers, the

organic fraction protects the

inorganic components by means

of binding and absorption,

thereby slowing the rate of

release of plant nutrients.

FAO 2007



Producing Organic Based Fertilizers from

Biosolids (phosphorus recycling for a sustainable planet)

• Phosphorus resources are finite

• Phosphorus fertilizers contain heavy metals and

radioactivity

• Excess phosphorus impacts our waters

• The Fraser Valley has a large phosphorus surplus

• Biosolids contain significant nitrogen and phosphorus

• How best do we recycle our biosolids to utilize nitrogen

and phosphorus (and help sustain our planet)?


Phosphorus Resources are Finite

Phosphorus Resources Reserves (“easily” extractable) (more difficult and costly to extract)

(million metric tonnes)

USA 1,800 49,000

China 3,700 16,800

Morocco 51,000 170,000

Total 60,000 290,000

Extractable phosphate rock – at worst 60% chance of depletion by 2100

(International Fertilizer Development Center 2010)


Phosphorus Sources Contain Heavy Metals

and Radionuclides

Heavy Metals in Phosphate Rock

As Cd Cr Pb Ni V

(mg /kg of phosphate rock)

USA 12 11 109 12 37 82

Morocco 11 30 225 7 26 87

Avg of 91% of resources 11 25 188 10 29 88

Average Uranium content of phosphate rock – 50-200 ppm

Morocco has 91% of the worlds uranium reserves (in the phosphate rock)

Kongshaug et al. 1992

In J. J. Mortvedt and and J. D. Beaton National Fertilizer and Environmental Research Center


Phosphorus Sources Contain Radionuclides

Radioactivity is similar in

range with other phosphorus

plants, and are below the

recommended limit by the

International Commission on

Radiological Protection as

the maximum annual does

to members of the public

El-Taher and Makhluf, 2010


Excess Phosphorus Applications Impacts our

Waters

Phosphorus usually most limiting nutrient for growth of aquatic

vegetation in fresh water –

- reduced solar radiation

- increased production of toxins

- decreased dissolved oxygen content

All of the above are detrimental to fish

N is often most limiting in salt water, but excess P thought to

contribute to hypoxia zone in the Gulf of Mexico

Plant and Soil Sciences elibrary


The Fraser Valley Has a Very Large Surplus of

Phosphorus

Fraser Valley Phosphorus Balance – Agriculture

Inputs to Farms - fertilizer 825 tonnes/yr

- feed 4602 tonnes/yr

Exports from Farms 1677 tonnes/yr

Surplus 3750 tonnes/yr (applied to soil) Bittman, AAFC 2011

15% of the total phosphorus extracted from nature for the

provision of food is eventually ingested by humans and the

rest is lost to the environment (Suh and Yee, 2011)


Where does the Phosphorus Go in our

Communities in the Lower Fraser Valley?

1. Food waste (Estimated 900 tonnes of P in

600,000 tonnes of organics per

year)

2. Biosolids (Estimated 340 tonnes of P in

100,000 tonnes of biosolids per

year)


Recycling Phosphorus in Biosolids

• Biosolids growing medium

• Composting to produce soil products

• Silviculture

• Minesite reclamation

• Nutrients for agriculture

Biosolids contain 4-5% N and > 3-5% P2O5. Is soil

manufacture really the best and most sustainable home for

this product?


1996 Research - Producing Organic Based

Fertilizer From a Blend of Biosolids and Poultry

Litter

J.W Paul and J.A Houtin 1998 –

presented at a biosolids conference in

Seattle

J.A. Houtin and J.W Paul 1998 – poster

at AIC conference

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada


Composting System for Producing Biosolids

Fertilizer

Paul and Hountin 1998


Temperatures of Composting Biosolids

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

12-May 19-May 26-May 02-Jun 09-Jun 16-Jun

Tem

pera

ture

(oC

)

25% Poultry litter

10% Poultry litter

Ambient



Characteristics of Biosolids (before and after composting)

After Composting (6 wks) with:

Raw Biosolids 10% broiler litter 25% broiler litter

Coliforms (CFU/W.W) 460,000 58 <3

pH 6.9 7.3 7.2

Total Solids (%) 25 27 62

Volatile Solids (%) 20 16 42

Total N (%) 4.2 3.5 3.5

Ammonium (mg kg-1) 5967 5687 7344

Nitrate (mg kg-1) <.5 1.2 12.3

Aluminum (mg kg-1) 25,000 21,900 12,900

Cadmium (mg kg-1) 3.1 2.4 1.7

Copper (mg kg-1) 1710 1750 1220

Lead (mg kg-1) 165 69 44

Mercury (mg kg-1) 7.87 5.43 3.32

Zinc (mg kg-1) 934 986 827



Fertilizer Produced from Biosolids (6-4-4)

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 1998


Ryegrass was grown in pots in greenhouse

Julien Hountin,

PhD



Four cuts of Ryegrass were harvested



Ryegrass growth and nutrient

uptake (greenhouse experiment)

Fertilizer Plant Yield N uptake P uptake

g pot-1

mg N pot-1

mg P pot-1

Control 2.8 70 16.8

Inorganic 5.7 193 33.4

Biosolids 7.0 268 34.8

Organic 6.9 260 31.6

Hountin and Paul 1998


Conclusions from 1996 Research

• Organic based fertilizers produced

with biosolids outperformed

inorganic fertilizer

• Composting process with Class B

biosolids met requirements of the

Fertilizer Act

• Significant phosphorus was

available from the biosolids fertilizer

• Biosolids based fertilizer contained

significantly less contaminants than

some fertilizers sourced from rock

phosphate



Biosolids Fertilizer - Summary

• Utilizing nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in biosolids in

fertilizers provides a more sustainable use of this resource.

• Fertilizer production does not require Class A biosolids,

thereby reducing costs for the wastewater plants.

• Fertilizer production is more likely to reduce

pharmaceuticals and other substances of concern in

biosolids because of the composting process.

• Fertilizer production from biosolids recycles a finite resource

(phosphorus).

• Fertilizer production from biosolids results in lower

application rates than soil production, reducing phosphorus

loading in soil and its potential impact on water quality.


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