Effect of metal nanoparticles in anaerobic digestion production and plant uptake from effluent fertilizer

Amro Hassanein; Emily Keller; Stephanie Lansing

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124455

Effect of metal nanoparticles in anaerobic digestion production and plant uptake from effluent fertilizer

Bioresour Technol. 2021 Feb:321:124455. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124455. Epub 2020 Nov 26.

Authors

Amro Hassanein¹, Emily Keller¹, Stephanie Lansing²

Affiliations

¹ University of Maryland, Department of Environmental Science & Technology, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
² University of Maryland, Department of Environmental Science & Technology, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: slansing@umd.edu.

PMID: 33285507
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124455

Abstract

Nanoparticle (NP) use can increase biological activity and adversely impact the environment. This study was the first to quantify biogas increases with NP mixtures during continuous anaerobic digestion (AD) of poultry litter and NP uptake in crops through tracking: 1) CH₄ and H₂S production from a NP mixture (Fe, Ni, and Co) in 30 L continuous digester (AD1) for 278 days compared to a control digester (AD2) without NP addition, 2) NP degradation during digestion, 3) using AD effluent with and without NP addition as a fertilizer, and 4) plant uptake of NPs. With NP inclusion, CH₄ production increased by 23.7%, and H₂S was reduced by 56.3%. The AD1 effluent had 1,160-19,400% higher NP concentrations and the lettuce biomass had 21.0-1,920% more NPs than lettuce fertilized with the AD2 effluent. This study showed that the effects of NPs remaining in the AD effluent must be considered.

Keywords: Biogas; Cobalt; Hydrogen sulfide; Hydroponics; Iron; Methane; Nickel; Poultry litter.

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Animals
Biofuels
Bioreactors*
Fertilizers
Metal Nanoparticles*
Methane

Substances

Biofuels
Fertilizers
Methane