Vermicomposting: a transformation alternative for rumen content generated in slaughterhouses

Abstract

Rumen content is a waste produced in slaughterhouses. This type of solid waste can cause bad odor and atmospheric pollution if discharged directly into the environment. Additionally, it may spread disease due to the nesting vectors, and the resulting leachate can lead to groundwater contamination. The objective of this study was to determine the suitability of rumen content, waste generated in the slaughterhouse of Villapinzón (Cundinamarca), as raw material for biological transformation into vermicompost at the Fertisoluciones facilities. The characteristics of the rumen content were analyzed, and during the transformation process, three volumetric capacities (T1: 5.94 m3, T2: 23.01 m3, and T3: 16.74 m3) of compost bed were evaluated for 105 days. Through a principal component analysis, the data was reduced in two dimensions that explained 65.8% of the total variance; the first component related to the number of juvenile individuals, high pH, low moisture and temperature; and the second component related to numbers of adults individuals and high temperatures. The earthworm growth rate was determined by the food quality, as well as by bed size. Microbiological and physicochemical analyses were performed on the resulting vermicompost, demonstrating that the transformation process of rumen material into organic fertilizer, performed in Fertisoluciones facilities, fulfills the parameters required by the NTC5167 standard. This study showing the possibility of using a slaughterhouse’s solid waste and convert it into a valuable product to an industrial scale.