Synthesis and characterization of struvite derived from poultry manure as a mineral fertilizer

Animal manure is an important source of nutrients for crop production, but environmental issues can restrict its direct use. Thermochemical processing these manures may be an alternative to concentrate nutrients and reduce the final volume for agriculture application. We aimed here to evaluate the viability of extracting nutrients from chicken manure using a thermochemical process which reduces the volume of transported nutrients, targeting phosphorus (P) recovery as precipitated struvite, without add external source of P. The extraction of nutrients from poultry manure was performed in water, followed by a thermochemical treatment of the solid phase by incineration and acidulation of the resulting ash. Struvite was produced from the acidified ash extract after supplementation with Mg and regulating the pH (~8.5) by KOH addition. The recovery efficiency of P from the poultry manure and incorporation into struvite was 90%. The final product was a multi-nutrient fertilizer with high macronutrient levels (P, K, Mg and S) and low micronutrient content when compared to fresh manure, as well as lower levels of heavy metals, potentially harmful for the environment. The precipitated product obtained here is composed of struvite-NH4 and struvite-K, alongside appreciable quantities of potassium sulphate and hydroxyapatite carbonate. Overall, we conclude that poultry manure represents a viable source of P and N for struvite production resulting in a nutrient-rich, pathogen-free inorganic fertiliser suitable for widespread use in agriculture.