Transcript Slide 1

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
OF TANNERY HAIR WASTE
THROUGH COMPOSTING
ARTHUR ONYUKA
Overview
• Background
• Aims and Objectives
• Why composting?
• Experimental
• Results and Discussion
• Concluding Remarks
Tanning process
Unhairing
Liming
Bovine hide
Beamhouse process
• Large amount of liquid and solid waste generated.
• Main cause for environmental concern.
Solid waste arising
Solid waste from 1 tonne of
raw hides
Tanning
17%
Wet end
2% Finishing
1%
Characteristics of beamhouse
solid waste:
• Fleshing and fats
• Solid hair
• Trimmings
• Sludge
Total = 700 kg
Beamhouse
80%
Source: Puntener, A. (1995). JALCA, 90: 206
Disposal and Treatment options
Treatments
Disposal
Thermal
Biological
• Landfill
• Incineration
• Composting
• Land spreading
• Pyrolysis
• Anaerobic digestion
• Dumping
• Gasification
• MBT
Main Disposal and Treatments
Environmental concerns
Landfill disposal
• Green House Gas emissions.
 Risk of global warming.
 Health risks
• Risk of water pollution.
 Health risks
• Non-sustainable use of land
and loss of resources.
Legislation
• Legislation
 Integrated Pollution Prevention & Control 96/61/EC
- aim to prevent and reduce pollution caused by production.
 Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC
- sets out key objectives based on a hierarchy of options.
 Landfill Directive 99/31/EC
- sets targets for the reduction of biodegradable wastes sent to
landfill.
Waste minimisation strategies
• Based on Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC.
 Forms key part
of BAT
Aims and Objectives
Key Aim
Key Objectives
• Sustainable management of
tannery hair waste through
composting.
• Identify suitable
biological treatment to
enhance hair
degradation.
• Develop favourable
conditions for
composting of hair
waste.
Why composting?
• Environmentally acceptable.
 Stabilised product
• Valuable product for the
market.
 Hair contains about 15%
nitrogen
• Ability to utilise the bulk of hair.
• Inexpensive and adaptable
Potential Markets
A
C
B
A.
Agriculture
B.
Landscaping
C.
Sport turf
Understanding composting
•
Biological process
Organic matter
(including carbon,
chemical energy,
protein, nitrogen)
Minerals
(including
nitrogen & other
nutrients)
water
Heat
Compost pile
Water
CO2
Organic matter
(including
carbon, chemical
energy, nitrogen,
protein),
minerals, water,
micro-organism
Micro-organism
Raw materials
Oxygen
Composted organic
material
Experimental
Experimental model
FEEDSTOCK
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
Composting
• Static: 40-50C
Microbial
degradation
Enhanced
composting
Apply optimised
parameters,
Phase 1 & 2
Bovine hair,
sawdust/
wood chips,
dry leaves &
soil
• Rotary drum
Optimise hair
degradation
through control
of:
 Culture
(C:N = 35:1)
 Temperature
 Isolate
 Moisture & pH
 Agitation
 Identify
Composting vessels
Static process
Drum process
Analyses
• Microscopy: light & scanning electron microscopy
(SEM).
• pH: electrochemical method.
• Moisture (% RH).
Analyses
• Nitrogen: Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen Method.
• Biochemical Tests: Folin-Lowry method, Gram
staining, selective culture media.
• Carbon: weight loss on-ignition of dry sample
@ 560C then cooling to constant weight (% Carbon
= Organic matter x 100/1.8).
Results and Discussion
Properties of the micro-organism
Growth
Microscopic observations
Aerobically @ 40 – 50C
Rod shaped and stains gram +ve
Species
Bacillus
pH range
7.5 – 10
pH of optimum activity
9.0
Optimum temperature
50C
Substrate specificity
Inhibition
Keratinolytic + general protease
E.D.T.A
Microbial properties
Crude Microbes: on keratin azure
Purified: optimum pH
2
1
Blank
Treated
Treated
3
4
Collagen hydrolysed
Inhibition
Microbial degradation of hair
Hair degradation
Intact hair
5
6
(Mag. X400, 5.0kV)
7
(Mag. X600, 5.0kV)
(Mag. X1.0K, 5.0kV)
Composting parameters
Control
pH
Temperature
Treated
Temperature (°C)
9
8
7
pH
6
5
4
3
2
1
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
0
7
15 21 30
40 50 60 70
Composting days
80 90 100 110 120
0
7 15 21 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
Composting days
• Compost achieved self-buffering at pH 7.0 and 8.0
• Average temperature maintained @ 49C
• Thermal destruction of pathogens @ > 55C
Control
Treated
Composting parameters
% Moisture (RH)
Control
Treated
• Supports microbial activity
% Moisture (RH)
60
58
• Must be balanced to allow
oxygen transfer.
56
54
52
• Excessive: anaerobic
process
50
48
0
7 15 21 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
Composting days
• Average moisture: 55% RH
Structural modification
Control: 15 days
Treated: 15 days
9
8
(Mag. X800, 5.0kV)
10
(Mag. X800, 5.0kV)
11
60 days
(Mag. X600, 5.0kV)
60 days
(Mag. X600, 5.0kV)
Final products
Control: 120 days
Treated: 120 days
13
12
(Mag. X300, 5.0kV)
14
(Mag. X600, 5.0kV)
15
Compost sample
(Mag. X40, 5.0kV)
Compost sample
(Mag. X40, 5.0kV)
Final product
16
• Dark and tacky
• Nitrogen content: 1.4 - 1.5%
per gram of sample.
• Carbon content: 39 - 41%
per gram of sample.
Product
Remarks
• An environmental-friendly technology to manage
tannery hair waste has been demonstrated.
• Future merits includes: environmental and economic
benefits through cost-saving and saleable product.
• The decomposition of hair can be enhanced through
the use of specific micro-organisms and optimisation
of the environmental processing parameters.
Acknowledgements
Dr. Paula Antunes
Dr. Margaret Bates
Prof. Geoff Attenburrow
Prof. Anthony Covington
Pat Potter (Mrs)
Mandy Taylor (Ms)
Tanya Hayes (Mrs)
Annie Lama (Ms)
Thank you