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@PHDTHESIS{CastroHerrera:907640,
author = {Castro Herrera, Daniela},
title = {{E}cological sanitation via thermophilic co-composting of
humanure and biochar as an approach to climate-smart
agriculture},
volume = {573},
school = {Universität Bonn},
type = {Dissertation},
address = {Jülich},
publisher = {Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH Zentralbibliothek, Verlag},
reportid = {FZJ-2022-02119},
isbn = {978-3-95806-622-9},
series = {Schriften des Forschungszentrums Jülich. Reihe Energie
$\&$ Umwelt / Energy $\&$ Environment},
pages = {XVIII, 127 S.},
year = {2022},
note = {Dissertation, Universität Bonn, 2021},
abstract = {Lack of basic sanitation and appropriate waste management,
limited access to mineral and organic fertilizers, and land
degradation are major public health and food security
challenges, particularly in developing regions with
financial and infrastructural limitations such as in
Sub-Saharan Africa. Developing integrated interventions that
address these challenges is of great relevance and is
becoming more urgent as the effects of climate change
increase and as the global population continuously rises.
Here, we developed an appropriate-technology ecological
sanitation concept via thermophilic composting of human
excreta and cattle manure as an approach for climate-smart
agriculture. For this, inside traditional wooden compost
boxes, we composted human excreta, and separately cattle
manure, both with kitchen scraps and teff straw, sawdust and
biochar as bulking agents, to produce a compost free of
phytotoxicity and pathogens, but rich in nutrients that can
be used to improve soil fertility. In order to maximize the
benefits of this approach, we particularly aimed at:(1)
Investigating the dynamics of key nutrients and physical and
chemical parameters of four composting treatments −human
excreta or cattle manure, with and without biochar− to
evaluate the feasibility of the appropriate-technology
composting process, the type of manure used and the effect
of biochar during composting.(2) Quantifying CO$_{2}$,
CH$_{4}$, N$_{2}$O, and NH$_{3}$ emissions of the different
composting treatments to assess their environmental impact
and the effect that biochar has on these gas emissions when
used as amendment during composting.(3) Exploring the
nutrient dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions of these four
types of compost when applied at two different rates (total
compost N equaled 170 kg N ha$^{-1}$, and three times this
amount) to a sandy soil at 25°C to evaluate their potential
as fertilizers and the role of biochar in increasing C
sequestration and reducing nutrient leaching in agricultural
soils. We found that our appropriate-technology thermophilic
composting process enabled a well-running and hygienically
safe composting not only of cattle manure, but also of human
excreta as a hygienically critical waste, as demonstrated by
the low nutrient losses, the temperature course, and the
relatively low N$_{2}$O and CH$_{4}$ emissions. Phosphorus
and K delivered by both compost forms showed that the plant
demand for P and K based on maize at tropical temperature
conditions can be fully covered through human excreta and
cattle manure-derived compost application, even at the lower
application rate, and could be especially suitable for
highly weathered and depleted soils in the tropics with very
low P, K and organic matter contents. In contrast, the N
provided by all compost treatments was not enough to meet
the crop N demand. Our research also demonstrated that
compost, especially biochar-compost mixtures, may contribute
to carbon sequestration and nutrient retention in
agricultural soils and decrease the dependency on synthetic
fertilizers, especially on mineral P and K. This work thus
demonstrates that the ecological sanitation concept via
thermophilic composting with biochar addition is a feasible
and climate smart approach with low requirement for
investment and with high potential to increase access to
sanitation, soil fertility and food security, and to
contribute to climate change mitigation, ecological waste
management andsustainable agricultural production.},
cin = {IBG-3},
cid = {I:(DE-Juel1)IBG-3-20101118},
pnm = {2173 - Agro-biogeosystems: controls, feedbacks and impact
(POF4-217)},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-2173},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)3 / PUB:(DE-HGF)11},
urn = {urn:nbn:de:0001-2022052312},
url = {https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/907640},
}