Abstract

Abattoir waste is among the biggest challenges that municipal waste management faces in Nigeria. This is because whenimproperly disposed, they can pollute surfaces, ground water, abattoir/market premises, etc. The nature of abattoir waste makes it a potential energy source if properly harnessed using the appropriate technological processes. This is seriously important to Nigeria as a developing country given that serious pressure is mounted on her available but insufficient energy supplies. Anaerobic digestion of organic component of abattoir wastecould produce a clean fuel called biogas and digestate which could be a very rich source of nutrients for plant growth. Studies have shown that the application of chemical fertilizers for complementing the supply of essential nutrients for plant growth can pollute the ground water resources, destroy microorganisms, increase the vulnerability of crops to disease attack, etc.  Organic fertilizer on the other hand, although has lower nutrient content and releases these nutrients at relatively slower rates, are able to overcome nearly all the demerits of the chemical ones. Anaerobic digestates on the other hand is capable of releasing the essential nutrients fast enough because of the metabolism of the nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing organisms present in them. As a result, various researches have explored the production and utilization of organic fertilizers from various sources ranging from composting of food, and agricultural wastes to anaerobic digestates. Various researches have explored independently, the generation of biogas from abattoir waste as well as the biofertilizer capabilities but a holistic assessment of the biogas and biofertilizer potentials of abattoir waste seem to be non-existent. The absence of such studies will make it difficult to estimate the combined biogas and biofertilizer benefit accruing from the anaerobic digestion as a waste management alternative. This study was therefore carried out to estimate the biogas and biofertilizer potential of abattoir wastes and to assess the waste treatment efficiency of the anaerobic digestion process.

Keywords:

Anaerobic Digestion, Metabolism, Digestates, Organic Fertilizers, Agricultural Wastes

AUTHOR – PASCALKAMSOROCHUKWU CO-AUTHOR – PETER ONYEAMA