Preparation of Valuable Solid Fertilizers from Bittern in Salt-Pans of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Common salt, also known as sodium chloride, is widely distributed on earth, especially in the form of seawater, which is an inexhaustible source. Common salt is economical and an excellent supplier of balanced nutrients, viz., sodium, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc., and even trace elements. Today majority of the farmlands are being depleted of minerals because of unwanted agricultural practices. Therefore, the soil has to be made fertile by the addition of nutrients in the form of different fertilizers. The organic mixture is the humus fraction, which improves soil structure and texture. One of the important sources for the synthesis of such fertilizers is the bittern, which is an unavoidable toxic material being let off from solar salt pans after crystallizing common salt. As this bittern is highly corrosive and poses transportation problems, it can be transformed into solid fertilizers through various improved methods.