Biomass ash as a potential raw material for the production of mineral fertilisers
¹West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Department of Agroengineering, Papieża Pawła VI street 3, PL 71-459 Szczecin, Poland
²Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Laboratory of Nuclear Analytical Methods, Dorodna street 16, PL 03-195 Warsaw, Poland
³Research Institute of Animal Production PIB Kołbacz Sp. z o.o., Warcisława street 1, PL 74-106 Stare Czarnowo, Poland
⁴West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Department of Bioengineering, Slowackiego street 17, PL 71-434 Szczecin, Poland
*Correspondence: marzena.gibczynska@zut.edu.pl
Abstract:
Ash obtained from biomass combustion could be a valuable product for fertilisation of soil or/and plant. It is connected with high reaction and potassium, calcium, magnesium content as well as low content of heavy metals. The analysed phyto-ash was obtained from Szczecin Power Plant Poland (12.2018–12.2019). The samples of phyto-ash, in the number of 24, were collected on subsequent dates at two-week intervals to determine the total content of the analysed elements (P, K, Mg, Ca, As, Cd, Ni, Cr, Pb, Hg). The differentiated percentage share of macro-elements both in total form as well as available form in ash from wood biomass and Agro-biomass is described as: calcium > potassium > magnesium > phosphorus. Phosphorus is characterised by a very low (10%) and highly variable availability. Ash from biomass is characterised by alkali pH (13.0). Biomass ash can be treated as a mineral fertiliser used for soil deacidification and as a substitute for calcium fertilisers. Biomass ash has a high content of potassium and magnesium, which could qualify this by-product as a source for fertiliser. Mean contents of heavy metals: lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury in ash do not exceed the limit values for the mineral fertilisers. The variable percentage share of Agro-biomass did not result in significant changes in the amount of available form of macro-elements in ash. The obtained results indicate the pronounced variability, depending on the season in a year, of the content of available macro-elements in biomass ash.
Key words:
biomass, forest biomass ash, heavy metals, macroelements