Variation in and Constraints upon the Decomposition of Woolscour Sludge

Abstract

The woolscouring (wool washing) industry has traditionally been viewed as highly polluting and, consequently, effluent treatment systems have been sought. The first stage in the current treatment system for woolscour wastewater, a chemical flocculation process (Sirolan CF), creates a sludge composed of soil and wool grease. We investigated the chemical and biological characteristics of this sludge. The sludge was found to be highly variable on a day to day basis in terms of its chemical composition and biodegradability; 0.8 to 27.8% of sludge total nitrogen was mineralized over 30 d at 37 degrees C. The grease component of sludge (14-40% on a dry weight basis) may retard the decomposition of the sludge but the polyacrylamide flocculant used in its production and its pesticide content had no effect on the rate of decomposition. Our results suggest that variability in substrate quality may translate into variability in treatment performance and have important implications for the biological treatment of industrial wastes, including composting.

Assessment of Wool Waste and Hair Waste as Soil Amendment and Nutrient Source

“…Sheep production and wool processing generates a significant amount of waste materials such as woolscour sludge (Williamson et al, 2000; Duppong et al, 2004; Kroening et al, 2004) and other unused materials that must be landfilled. In recent years, the market for wool in Atlantic Canada has dropped dramatically resulting, in addition to the wool waste, an excess of good quality wool that cannot be processed.…”

Wool-waste as organic nutrient source for container-grown plants

“…However, there are some widely available waste products that have not yet been utilized and that may have potential value as nutrient sources for crops. Examples include sheep wool-waste generated during the process of cleaning raw wool (Kroening et al, 2004) and human hair-waste generated by hair salons. According to our preliminary calculations, the production of human hair and the amount of sheep wool-waste in the US can supply more than half of the N and perhaps all the P and K for US grown container plants.…”

Uncomposted Wool and Hair‐Wastes as Soil Amendments for High‐Value Crops

“…A significant amount of waste materials such as woolscour sludge that are generated from sheep production and wool processing (Duppong et al, 2004; Kroening et al, 2004; Williamson et al, 2000) are currently landfilled. Sometimes, due to unfavorable market conditions, even good quality wool would be disposed of as a waste material.…”