1. SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF TANNERY HAIR WASTE THROUGH COMPOSTING
ARTHUR ONYUKA

2. Overview Background Aims and Objectives Why composting? Experimental
Results and Discussion
Concluding Remarks

3. Tanning process Large amount of liquid and solid waste generated.
Unhairing
Liming
Bovine hide
Beamhouse process
Large amount of liquid and solid waste generated.
Main cause for environmental concern.

4. Solid waste arising Characteristics of beamhouse solid waste:
Fleshing and fats
Solid hair
Trimmings
Sludge
Wet end 2%
Tanning 17%
Finishing 1%
Beamhouse 80%
Total = 700 kg
Source: Puntener, A. (1995). JALCA, 90: 206

5. Disposal and Treatment options
Treatments
Disposal
Landfill
Land spreading
Dumping
Thermal
Incineration
Pyrolysis
Gasification
Biological
Composting
Anaerobic digestion
MBT

6. Main Disposal and Treatments

7. Environmental concerns
Landfill disposal
Green House Gas emissions.
Risk of global warming.
Health risks
Risk of water pollution.
Non-sustainable use of land and loss of resources.

8. Legislation Legislation
Integrated Pollution Prevention & Control 96/61/EC
- aim to prevent and reduce pollution caused by production.
Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC
- sets out key objectives based on a hierarchy of options.
Landfill Directive 99/31/EC
- sets targets for the reduction of biodegradable wastes sent to landfill.

9. Waste minimisation strategies
Based on Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC.
Forms key part of BAT

10. Aims and Objectives Key Aim Key Objectives
Sustainable management of tannery hair waste through composting.
Key Objectives
Identify suitable biological treatment to enhance hair degradation.
Develop favourable conditions for composting of hair waste.

11. Why composting? Environmentally acceptable.
Stabilised product
Valuable product for the market.
Hair contains about 15% nitrogen
Ability to utilise the bulk of hair.
Inexpensive and adaptable

12. Potential Markets B A C
Agriculture
Landscaping
Sport turf

13. Understanding composting
Biological process
Heat
water
CO2
Organic matter (including carbon, chemical energy, protein, nitrogen)
Minerals (including nitrogen & other nutrients)
Water
Micro-organism
Organic matter (including carbon, chemical energy, nitrogen, protein), minerals, water, micro-organism
Compost pile
Composted organic material
Oxygen
Raw materials

14. Experimental

15. Experimental model FEEDSTOCK PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3
Bovine hair, sawdust/ wood chips, dry leaves & soil
(C:N = 35:1)
Composting
Static: 40-50C
Rotary drum
Microbial degradation
Enhanced composting
Optimise hair degradation through control of:
Temperature
Moisture & pH
Agitation
Culture
Identify
Isolate
Apply optimised parameters, Phase 1 & 2

16. Composting vessels
Static process
Drum process

17. Analyses Microscopy: light & scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
pH: electrochemical method.
Moisture (% RH).

18. Analyses Nitrogen: Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen Method.
Biochemical Tests: Folin-Lowry method, Gram staining, selective culture media.
Carbon: weight loss on-ignition of dry sample @ 560C then cooling to constant weight (% Carbon = Organic matter x 100/1.8).

19. Results and Discussion

20. Properties of the micro-organism
Growth
40 – 50C
Microscopic observations
Rod shaped and stains gram +ve
Species
Bacillus
pH range
7.5 – 10
pH of optimum activity
9.0
Optimum temperature
50C
Substrate specificity
Keratinolytic + general protease
Inhibition
E.D.T.A

21. Crude Microbes: on keratin azure
Microbial properties
Crude Microbes: on keratin azure
Purified: optimum pH 2 1
Blank
Treated
Treated 3 4
Collagen hydrolysed
Inhibition

22. Microbial degradation of hair
Intact hair
Hair degradation 5 6
(Mag. X400, 5.0kV) 7
(Mag. X600, 5.0kV)
(Mag. X1.0K, 5.0kV)

23. Composting parameters
Compost achieved self-buffering at pH 7.0 and 8.0
Average temperature 49C
Thermal destruction of > 55C

24. Composting parameters
Supports microbial activity
Must be balanced to allow oxygen transfer.
Excessive: anaerobic process
Average moisture: 55% RH

25. Structural modification
Control: 15 days
Treated: 15 days 9 8
(Mag. X800, 5.0kV)
(Mag. X800, 5.0kV) 10 11
60 days
(Mag. X600, 5.0kV)
60 days
(Mag. X600, 5.0kV)

26. Final products 13 12 14 15 Control: 120 days Treated: 120 days
(Mag. X300, 5.0kV)
(Mag. X600, 5.0kV) 14 15
Compost sample
(Mag. X40, 5.0kV)
Compost sample
(Mag. X40, 5.0kV)

27. Final product 16 Dark and tacky
Nitrogen content: % per gram of sample.
Carbon content: % per gram of sample.
Product

28. Remarks
An environmental-friendly technology to manage tannery hair waste has been demonstrated.
Future merits includes: environmental and economic benefits through cost-saving and saleable product.
The decomposition of hair can be enhanced through the use of specific micro-organisms and optimisation of the environmental processing parameters.

29. Acknowledgements Dr. Paula Antunes Dr. Margaret Bates
Prof. Geoff Attenburrow
Prof. Anthony Covington
Pat Potter (Mrs)
Mandy Taylor (Ms)
Tanya Hayes (Mrs)
Annie Lama (Ms)

30. Thank you