RECOVERY OF NUTRIENTS FROM STRUVITE CRYSTALLIZATION PROCESS USING GOAT MANURE

Abstract

Wastes collected from goat farm are converted into manure by various processes for their application in agricultural fields in order to yield more production of crops. But unexpectedly the nutrient present in the manure is not completely utilized by the plants sometimes due to surface water runoff, floods and certain other aspects. The production of mineral fertilizers has a significant environmental impact, including depletion of fossil fuels and minerals. Therefore, the nutrients present in this manure comprise of minerals such as Magnesium, Ammonium and Phosphate which is otherwise called as struvite. This struvite can be precipitated separately and can be made as a substitute for manure since struvite is far rich in nutrients compared to manure and also it is considered as a slow releasing fertilizer which has less soluble in water. This thesis work shows the amount of MAP (Mg, Nh4, and P) nutrients generated when goat manure is used as the influent to the fluidized bed reactor with addition of Mgcl which acts as a precipitating agent and also the impact of struvite precipitation in the concentration of total solids, hardness, pH, BOD/COD from the goat waste manure is observed.