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Project title

A study on the ecological impact of recycling derived fertilisers (RDF) using nematodes as environmental bioindicators.

Primary Funding Agency

Irish Research Council

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Institute of Technology, Carlow

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

The soil is the main source of nutrients needed for plant growth. Intensive agriculture causes depletion of the natural reserves of these nutrients bringing us to a phosphorous emergency, with a simultaneous global demand for recycled phosphorous. Three main nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, are routinely applied by farmers via artificial mineral fertilisers, whose production, mining and transportation require large amounts of energy and pollute the environment. At the same time, via food consumption nutrients end up in waste without their placement back to food production. Nutrient recovery technologies are employed to produce recycling derived fertilisers (RDF) from three large waste streams, sewage sludge, food waste and manure, in the form of struvite or ash that can replace usage of conventional mineral fertilisers in farms. However, before these RDF are applied to the soil and used as the main source of nutrients, they need to undergo an ecological risk assessment. Nematodes are the most abundant and widespread soil roundworms, involved in nutrient cycling and enabling these to be utilised by plants. These organisms are sensitive to pollutants and environmental disturbance and therefore ideal as biological indicators of environmental change. This project is an investigation on the ecological impact of RDF by studying their effects on nematodes in single species ecotoxicology experiments and via terrestrial nematode community analyses. The project will investigate the effects of RDF on (1) beneficial nematode host infectivity, persistence and reproduction in microcosm experiments, (2) nematode growth and reproduction in toxicity experiments, and (3) nematode communities in RDF testing field trials. From the field data an environmental mathematical model will be constructed to understand the complex interactions among RDF, terrestrial nematodes, soil and climate, compared to those in control treatments, and most importantly to assess the long-term ecological impact of RDF in the Irish soil.

Grant Approved

�96,000.00

Research Hub

n/a

Research Theme

Not relevant

Start Date

01/11/2020

Initial Projected Completion Date

01/11/2024