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C.R.O.P. - Combined Regenerative Organic food Production: Using trickling filters for wet composting of organic waste in hydroponic greenhouse cultures

Hauslage, Jens and Bornemann, Gerhild and Winzer, Felix and Waßer, Kai and Kraska, Thorsten and Hemmersbach, Ruth and Anken, Ralf Hendrik (2014) C.R.O.P. - Combined Regenerative Organic food Production: Using trickling filters for wet composting of organic waste in hydroponic greenhouse cultures. 6th International Workshop AGROSPACE2014. Analogue Testing – The first Step towards Space, 2014-05-22 - 2014-05-23, Sperlonga, Italy.

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Abstract

In the past decades the upcoming shortage of mineral oil caused intense public debates and research efforts on the subject of alternative fuels and the recycling of plastics. The limited availability of environmentally compatible fertilizer for food production purposes attracted muss less public interest, but is of equal importance. C.R.O.P. is a sustainable concept for the improvement of organic wastes and wastewaters, which combines microbial trickling filters for waste processing with hydroponic plant cultivation on the basis of the resulting nutrient containing solutions. Although the trickling filters are designed as waste processing plants for closed environment systems in the first place, they are also suitable for nutrient recycling in modern hydroponic greenhouse cultures. Wet composting of plant wastes comprises two steps, the first of which is the liquefaction of the solid parts and the second the mineralization of the organic matter. These processes require the presence of several microbial species with differing environmental demands. To enable the simultaneous growth of the necessary organisms in one filter unit, the filter medium has to provide the corresponding habitats. Therefore, our trickling filters contain porous lava rock as filter medium. The small pores of the lava particle form different habitat zones under the growth of the biofilm in which the outer layers provide oxic habitats for aerobic bacteria and anoxic habitats for anaerobic bacteria. Presently, three full-scale trickling filters of the type described with special adaptations for solids processing located at AgroHort Campus Klein-Altendorf of the University of Bonn are in operation. Each filter unit consists of a tank that contains 800l of water and a filter that contains 250l of lava. The water is constantly circulated through the lava filter. Between 5 to 15 kg of shredded plant wastes were added every fortnight to the water (total amount approximately 120 kg). The waste was carried along in the flow, thus also passing the filter, and was liquefied within days. The process resulted in a clear and almost completely odour-free solution. Alter the measurement of mass concentrations of inorganic compounds by ion exchange chromatography the solution is used as stock solution for liquid fertilizer application in growth tests, which are currently in progress. To date we can state that nutrients, especially micronutrients, have to be added when the filter units are solely fed with plant wastes but the consumption of conventional fertilizer is reduced.

Item URL in elib:https://elib.dlr.de/94910/
Document Type:Conference or Workshop Item (Speech)
Title:C.R.O.P. - Combined Regenerative Organic food Production: Using trickling filters for wet composting of organic waste in hydroponic greenhouse cultures
Authors:
AuthorsInstitution or Email of AuthorsAuthor's ORCID iDORCID Put Code
Hauslage, JensDLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Biomedical Research, Cologne, GermanyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Bornemann, GerhildDLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Biomedical Research, Cologne, GermanyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Winzer, FelixUniversity of BonnUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Waßer, KaiDLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Biomedical Research, Cologne, GermanyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Kraska, ThorstenUniversity of BonnUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Hemmersbach, RuthDLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Biomedical Research, Cologne, GermanyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Anken, Ralf HendrikDLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Biomedical Research, Cologne, GermanyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Date:23 May 2014
Refereed publication:No
Open Access:Yes
Gold Open Access:No
In SCOPUS:No
In ISI Web of Science:No
Status:Published
Keywords:Bio-Regenerative Life Support System, trickle filter, fertilizer, aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria
Event Title:6th International Workshop AGROSPACE2014. Analogue Testing – The first Step towards Space
Event Location:Sperlonga, Italy
Event Type:international Conference
Event Start Date:22 May 2014
Event End Date:23 May 2014
Organizer:Aerosekur, University of Arizona, DLR
HGF - Research field:Aeronautics, Space and Transport
HGF - Program:Space
HGF - Program Themes:Research under Space Conditions
DLR - Research area:Raumfahrt
DLR - Program:R FR - Research under Space Conditions
DLR - Research theme (Project):R - Vorhaben Biowissenschaftliche Nutzerunterstützung (old)
Location: Köln-Porz
Institutes and Institutions:Institute of Aerospace Medicine > Biomedical Research
Deposited By: Duwe, Helmut
Deposited On:29 Jan 2015 17:41
Last Modified:24 Apr 2024 20:00

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