ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Managing Paper and Pulp Industry By-Product
Waste Utilizing Sludge as a Bio-Fertilizer
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1
Department of Environmental Sciences, LCWU, Lahore-Pakistan
2
Research & Development Packages Ltd. Lahore, Lahore-Pakistan
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Department of Chemistry, Karakoram International University, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
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Institute of Chemistry, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan
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Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore-Pakistan
Submission date: 2017-09-26
Final revision date: 2018-01-03
Acceptance date: 2018-01-18
Online publication date: 2018-08-06
Publication date: 2018-11-20
Corresponding author
Arif Nazir
Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Lahore, Lahore, 1-Km Raiwind Road, Lahore, 54000 Lahore, Pakistan
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2019;28(1):83-90
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ABSTRACT
An enormous amount of waste material (sludge) generated from paper and pulp industries is either
dumped or incinerated. However, this pulp is an enriched source of macronutrients and can be employed on
agricultural land to improve its fertility. The current study was therefore performed to analyze phosphorus
(P) and calcium (Ca) by flame photometer, nitrogen (N) by Kjeldahl method, and magnesium (Mg) by
back titration from sludge. The application of sludge significantly increases macronutrients in the plants
lady finger (Abelmoschus esculentus) and garden mint (Mentha sachalinensis).We applied primary (initial
husk treatment) and secondary (after primary treatment) sludge to observe the growth of Abelmoschus
esculentus and Mentha sachalinensis. However, primary sludge showed the highest concentration of
nutrients, i.e., 96.5% P, 99.6% N, 86% Ca, and 0.008% Mg. The application of paper and pulp waste to
the soil indicates that these bio-solids are good for soil fertility, biomass production, and plant growth;
however, they are slightly less efficient than synthetic fertilizers. However, the synthetic fertilizers are
probable candidates for holding heavy metals, so these bio-solids can be considered a better source for
soil fertility.