Assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance
Application of sewage sludge as fertilizer can be beneficial for sustainable agriculture as it could largely account for nitrogen and phosphorus demand for crops and has lower costs compared to other disposal routes, e.g., incineration, and sanitary landfills. This study evaluates the feasibility of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113281/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113281/1/113281.pdf |
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| author | Samsudin, Mohd Hafif Mohd Yusoff, Mohd Zulkhairi Hassan, Mohd Ali Zakaria, Mohd Rafein Roslan, Ahmad Muhaimin Salamat, Siti Suliza Hasan, Muhamad Yusuf Mohd Zainudin, Mohd Huzairi Ahmad Farid, Mohammed Abdillah Yoshihito, Shirai |
| author_facet | Samsudin, Mohd Hafif Mohd Yusoff, Mohd Zulkhairi Hassan, Mohd Ali Zakaria, Mohd Rafein Roslan, Ahmad Muhaimin Salamat, Siti Suliza Hasan, Muhamad Yusuf Mohd Zainudin, Mohd Huzairi Ahmad Farid, Mohammed Abdillah Yoshihito, Shirai |
| author_sort | Samsudin, Mohd Hafif |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Application of sewage sludge as fertilizer can be beneficial for sustainable agriculture as it could largely account for nitrogen and phosphorus demand for crops and has lower costs compared to other disposal routes, e.g., incineration, and sanitary landfills. This study evaluates the feasibility of pilot-scale pelletization of sewage sludge for non-food crops (e.g., ornamental plants). The co-pelletization method was designed by mixing sewage sludge and binder (tapioca starch) at a 9:1 sludge-to-starch weight ratio. The amount of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) of the resultant pellets were determined at 5.7%, 4.9%, and 0.2%, respectively. Following Malaysian and US Standards, non-essential elements and pathogenicity of the pelletized sewage sludge were measured below the predetermined limits and hence safe for agricultural application. The planting trial using 50% inorganic fertilizer + 50% sewage sludge pellets exhibited a promising result on the growth of the flowering plant Celosia plumosa, with having better dimension and color, 20% higher in height, 4% more chlorophyll content, 54% more leaf, 43% greater stem growth, and 27% more flowers compared to control. Likewise, the planting trial on Tagetes erecta resulted in 10.5% wider leaf, 10.6% heavier leaf dry weight, and 12.5% more chlorophyll content compared to control with full usage of inorganic fertilizer. By considering liquidities to operate the production facility, the economic analysis estimated that the production cost per ton of pelletized sewage sludge produced was USD 0.98. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:16:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-113281 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:41:09Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1132812025-10-27T00:54:07Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113281/ Assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance Samsudin, Mohd Hafif Mohd Yusoff, Mohd Zulkhairi Hassan, Mohd Ali Zakaria, Mohd Rafein Roslan, Ahmad Muhaimin Salamat, Siti Suliza Hasan, Muhamad Yusuf Mohd Zainudin, Mohd Huzairi Ahmad Farid, Mohammed Abdillah Yoshihito, Shirai Application of sewage sludge as fertilizer can be beneficial for sustainable agriculture as it could largely account for nitrogen and phosphorus demand for crops and has lower costs compared to other disposal routes, e.g., incineration, and sanitary landfills. This study evaluates the feasibility of pilot-scale pelletization of sewage sludge for non-food crops (e.g., ornamental plants). The co-pelletization method was designed by mixing sewage sludge and binder (tapioca starch) at a 9:1 sludge-to-starch weight ratio. The amount of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) of the resultant pellets were determined at 5.7%, 4.9%, and 0.2%, respectively. Following Malaysian and US Standards, non-essential elements and pathogenicity of the pelletized sewage sludge were measured below the predetermined limits and hence safe for agricultural application. The planting trial using 50% inorganic fertilizer + 50% sewage sludge pellets exhibited a promising result on the growth of the flowering plant Celosia plumosa, with having better dimension and color, 20% higher in height, 4% more chlorophyll content, 54% more leaf, 43% greater stem growth, and 27% more flowers compared to control. Likewise, the planting trial on Tagetes erecta resulted in 10.5% wider leaf, 10.6% heavier leaf dry weight, and 12.5% more chlorophyll content compared to control with full usage of inorganic fertilizer. By considering liquidities to operate the production facility, the economic analysis estimated that the production cost per ton of pelletized sewage sludge produced was USD 0.98. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH 2024-08-12 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113281/1/113281.pdf Samsudin, Mohd Hafif and Mohd Yusoff, Mohd Zulkhairi and Hassan, Mohd Ali and Zakaria, Mohd Rafein and Roslan, Ahmad Muhaimin and Salamat, Siti Suliza and Hasan, Muhamad Yusuf and Mohd Zainudin, Mohd Huzairi and Ahmad Farid, Mohammed Abdillah and Yoshihito, Shirai (2024) Assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 196 (9). art. no. 807. pp. 1-19. ISSN 0167-6369; eISSN: 1573-2959 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-024-12956-w 10.1007/s10661-024-12956-w |
| spellingShingle | Samsudin, Mohd Hafif Mohd Yusoff, Mohd Zulkhairi Hassan, Mohd Ali Zakaria, Mohd Rafein Roslan, Ahmad Muhaimin Salamat, Siti Suliza Hasan, Muhamad Yusuf Mohd Zainudin, Mohd Huzairi Ahmad Farid, Mohammed Abdillah Yoshihito, Shirai Assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance |
| title | Assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance |
| title_full | Assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance |
| title_short | Assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance |
| title_sort | assessment of pilot-scale sewage sludge pelletization for non-food crop fertilization: nutrient content, pathogenicity, and growth performance |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113281/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113281/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113281/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113281/1/113281.pdf |