Nutrient Status and Contamination Risks from Digested Pig Slurry Applied on a Vegetable Crops Field

Shaohui Zhang, Yumei Hua and Liangwei Deng
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Shaohui Zhang: School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Yumei Hua: College of Resource and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Liangwei Deng: Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu 610041, China

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: The effects of applied digested pig slurry on a vegetable crops field were studied. The study included a 3-year investigation on nutrient characteristics, heavy metals contamination and hygienic risks of a vegetable crops field in Wuhan, China. The results showed that, after anaerobic digestion, abundant N, P and K remained in the digested pig slurry while fecal coliforms, ascaris eggs, schistosoma eggs and hookworm eggs were highly reduced. High Cr, Zn and Cu contents in the digested pig slurry were found in spring. Digested pig slurry application to the vegetable crops field led to improved soil fertility. Plant-available P in the fertilized soils increased due to considerable increase in total P content and decrease in low-availability P fraction. The As content in the fertilized soils increased slightly but significantly ( p = 0.003) compared with control. The Hg, Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Cu contents in the fertilized soils did not exceed the maximum permissible contents for vegetable crops soils in China. However, high Zn accumulation should be of concern due to repeated applications of digested pig slurry. No fecal coliforms, ascaris eggs, schistosoma eggs or hookworm eggs were detected in the fertilized soils.

Keywords: anaerobic digestion; land application; nutrient; heavy metal; hygienic risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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