Management of industrial slurries with a chemical catalyst: generation of organic sustainable solution

Slurries are a problem for the food-producing industry. They are comprised of solid and liquid wastes which must be precipitated and packed in polymers, and then disposed of in special landfills. A package of chemical substances (TCAS-CATA) has been developed to control the smell of this type of material. However, questions arose as to whether it would have any effect on nutrient bioavailability after eliminating the odors. To this end, slurries from animal processing plants were treated with TCAS-CATA in different conditions, and the parameters of this resulting solution were measured. Our results indicate that the catalyst can increase 100% nitrogenated compound concentration (400 mg/L of nitrites and 250 mg/L of Nitrate). This nutrient liberation depends on the slurry source, i.e., slurries with shells generate fewer nitrogenated compounds, but deliver more calcium to the solution. The solution also generates germination in some seed types and can stimulate development in some types of plants. Finally, the catalyst reduces odor 100% without reducing the capacity of the slurry to deliver nutrients. Our data suggest that TCAS-CATA may be catalyzing the bioavailability of the compound from the slurry without requiring microbiological processes, which will reduce odor and permit the use of this slurry as a biological remediation, similar to what is achieved in composting systems, but without the associated thermophilic processes. Future studies will allow for more knowledge of the mechanism and handling industrial material for agricultural processes.