posted on 2021-11-04, 18:35authored byGulcin U. Tosun, Yuriy Sakhno, Deb P. Jaisi
Phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural
soils and its adverse impact
on the ecosystem have resulted in renewed calls on resource recovery.
In this study, we tested five methods of purification of P extracted
from common animal wastes (chicken litter and dairy cow, horse, sheep,
and swine manures) to fabricate hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANPs),
a potential nanofertilizer. Crystallization of HANPs from P extracts
from swine manure and chicken litter was achieved with no purification
of the extract but the yield and purity were compromised. All synthesized
HANPs from partially purified P were carbonated apatite in which columnar
hydroxyls are replaced by carbonate, which is ideal for enhancing
the solubility. The TEM and XRD analyses were carried out to verify
the nanodimension and phase crystallinity of HANPs. The concentration
of heavy metals in HANPs decreased by 3–5 log orders compared
to waste during purification and crystallization. Overall, these results
suggest that the recovery and recycling of P from animal wastes and
synthesis of pure HANPs are feasible and together contribute
to the efforts on recycling a nonrenewable resource as well as protecting
the environment.