Potential of wet blue leather waste for ruminant feeding

Abstract

-The objective of this study was to find an alternative to minimize environmental contamination by leather waste using it as ruminant feed. The wet blue leather wastes (WB) without chrome extraction were compared with the leather wastes in which the chrome was extracted (CE). Both materials had 99.7% of dry matter (DM), but the crude protein level was higher (90.4%) in CE than in WB (74.3%). In situ effective ruminal degradability of DM was 59.7% and it was 63.1% for CP in CE. The WB did not suffer degradation in the rumen. In vitro abomasal digestibility of CE was 100%. The percentage of degradation per hour was higher for CE (8.2%) than for WB (0.08%). The mineral content was higher in wet blue leather wastes (10.4%) than in CE (0.4%) reflecting the chrome level and demonstrating that the removal process of this mineral is efficient. The use in animal feed is presented as a viable alternative for the disposal of waste and scrap generated by the leather tanning industry and treated by the extraction method, thus minimizing environmental contamination and providing a source of protein for animal feed.

Exploring Tannery Solid Wastes as a Source of Animal Feed

“…These wet blue residues, which contain various levels of chromium-stabilized collagen, have seen research advancements that enable the reduction in chromium content. After chrome removal, theoretically, collagenbased protein is appropriate for feeding poultry, ruminants [97], and pets. It is vital to exclude chromium from the final product due to its notorious toxicity and associated health risks, from allergic reactions to cancer [98].…”

CARACTERIZAÇÃO E EXTRAÇÃO DE CRÔMIO DE RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS DA INDÚSTRIA DO COURO - DOI: 10.13083/1414-3984/reveng.v23n4p326-335

“…Segundo Castro (2011), o colágeno do couro apresenta elevada capacidade de absorção e retenção de água e é uma fonte rica de nitrogênio para as culturas agrícolas, sendo considerado ótimo condicionador de solo. Silva et al (2012), avaliando o potencial de utilização de resíduos de couro Wet Blue na alimentação de animais, como fonte de proteínas, verificaram que o couro sem passar pelo processo de extração do Cr não foi totalmente digerido pelos animais, porém, quando avaliado o material após extração desse metal, demostrou ser ótima fonte de proteína, podendo ser utilizado para alimentação de ruminantes. Gianello et al (2011) verificaram que a utilização dos resíduos não afetaram o crescimento das plantas de rabanete e sorgo, além de não proporcionar contaminação da parte comestível dessas plantas, podendo ser utilizados como fonte de nitrogênio na adubação dessas culturas.…”