[Effect of Different Passivating Agents on the Stabilization of Heavy Metals in Chicken Manure Compost and Its...

We explore the effects of different passivating agents on livestock manure treatment by using chicken manure and straw as raw materials and thermophilic rapid fermentation. We investigate the effects of sepiolite (SE), calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer (NP), biochar (BI), compounds of sepiolite plus calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer (S+N), sepiolite plus biochar (S+B), calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer plus biochar (N+B), and sepiolite plus calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer and biochar (SNB) on the physical and chemical characteristics, heavy metal fraction and distribution, and organic matter content in chicken manure compost. The results showed that the addition of different passivating agents significantly increased the pH in chicken manure organic fertilizer (P<0.05). The seed germination rate was increased after applying of passivation agents, being>80%, and the germination inhibition rate decreased accordingly, whereas the values of electric conductivity (EC) and organic carbon were inhibited. The total nitrogen content and carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N) were lower than of those before composting, and all of the indicators reached the standard of organic fertilizer maturity. However, differences among the groups after composting were that the pH increase in the compounding treatment was comparatively higher, and that the EC decreased significantly under the treatment of the single sepiolite and calcium magnesium phosphate, whereas the total nitrogen content and C/N ratio of organic carbon were not significantly different in each group. Although the total amount of heavy metals in our organic chicken manure fertilizer increased due to a concentration effect, the proportion of exchangeable heavy metals in the fertilizer decreased, and while the ratio of the residual heavy metals increased. The passivation effect on heavy metals under combined treatments of different materials was better than that of a single agent, and the SNB treatment had the best effect on the passivation of Ni, Zn, As, and Pb. After composting treatment, the concentrations of humic substances (HS) and humic acid (HA) increased significantly (P<0.05), and the highest concentrations increased by 19.8% and 78.9%, respectively. The amount of fulvic acid (FA) decreased by 4.47%-20.11% compared with the initial conditions. Infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the small molecular substances of polysaccharides increased after composting. In summary, the addition of a passivation agent can promote the heavy metal passivation in chicken manure organic fertilizers to potentially render the compost as harmless.