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Nie R, Peng W, Lü F, Zhang H, Lu X, He P. Impact of the thermo-alkaline pretreatment on the anaerobic digestion of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blended plastics. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 475:134882. [PMID: 38870853 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is a biodegradable plastic that is difficult to degrade under both mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic conditions. In this study, the impact of the thermo-alkaline pretreatment (48 h, 70 °C, 1 % w/v NaOH) on the anaerobic degradation (AD) of PBAT, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and PBAT/PLA blended plastics was investigated. Under mesophilic conditions, pretreatment only improved the methane yield of PBAT/PLA/starch plastic (100 days, 51 and 34 NmL/g VSadd for the treated and original plastics, respectively). Under thermophilic conditions, the pretreatment increased the methanogenic rate of PLA, PBAT and PBAT/PLA/starch plastic at the beginning stage (22 days, 35 and 79 NmL/g VSadd for original and treated PBAT, respectively), but did not change the methane yield at the end of the incubation (100 days, 91 NmL/g VSadd for original and treated PBAT). The reduction in the molecular weight and the formation of pore structures on the plastic surface accelerated the utilization of plastics by microorganisms. Furthermore, the pretreated plastics tend to form microplastics (MPs) with size predominantly below 500 µm (>90 %). The numbers of MPs dynamically changed with the degradation time. Several genera of bacteria showed specific degradation of biodegradable plastics under thermophilic conditions, including Desulfitibacter, Coprothermobacter, Tepidimicrobium, c_ D8A-2 and Thermacetogenium. The results suggest that more attention should be paid to the problem of MPs arising from the thermo-alkaline pretreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Nie
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Wei Peng
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Fan Lü
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiangyu Lu
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Nanocatalytic Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Pinjing He
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
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Peng W, Nie R, Lü F, Zhang H, He P. Biodegradability of PBAT/PLA coated paper and bioplastic bags under anaerobic digestion. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 174:218-228. [PMID: 38064993 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) are two of biodegradable plastics with the highest production capacities in 2021. Bioplastic waste management can be easily integrated with organic waste management, especially when bioplastics are used as food packaging material, since they are potentially biodegradable. The aim of this study was to assess the biodegradability of biodegradable polymer-coated paper (BPCP) and bioplastic bags made from PBAT/PLA blend during mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) and to reveal the changes in the physicochemical properties of the bioplastics. BPCP obtained 155 NmL-CH4/g VS and 307.3 NmL-CH4/g VS under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, respectively, but left bioplastic film residues. The bioplastic bags did not exhibit significant biodegradation during the AD processes. 1H NMR results indicated that the ratio of PLA to PBAT decreased significantly after AD of the BPCP film and that PLA monomers were formed from the bioplastic bags, leading to a decrease in the hydrophobicity on the surfaces of the materials. Methanoculleus was found to be enriched on the bioplastic surface after mesophilic AD. From the perspective of coupling bioplastic waste management with the food waste management, the incorporation of BPCP into the AD reactor not only enhances system stability and methane production to a greater extent than biodegradable plastic bags but also raises concerns regarding the residual biofilm when utilizing the digestate for direct land applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Peng
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Rong Nie
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Fan Lü
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Pinjing He
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
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Zhang Y, Ji S, Xie P, Liang Y, Chen H, Chen L, Wei C, Yang Z, Qiu G. Simultaneous partial nitrification, Anammox and nitrate-dependent Fe(II) oxidation (NDFO) for total nitrogen removal under limited dissolved oxygen and completely autotrophic conditions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 880:163300. [PMID: 37031928 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable nitrogen removal from wastewater at reduced energy and/or chemical consumptions is challenging. This paper investigated, for the first time, the feasibility of coupled partial nitrification, Anammox and nitrate-dependent Fe(II) oxidation (NDFO) for sustainable autotrophic nitrogen removal. With NH4+-N as the only nitrogen-containing compound in the influent, near-complete nitrogen removal (a total of 97.5 % with a maximal total nitrogen removal rate of 6.64 ± 2.68 mgN/L/d) was achieved in a sequencing batch reactor for a 203-d operation without organic carbon source addition and forced aeration. Anammox (predominated by Candidatus Brocadia) and NDFO bacteria (such as Denitratisoma) were successfully enriched, with total relative abundances up to 11.54 % and 10.19 %, respectively. Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was a key factor affecting the coupling of multi (ammonia oxidization, Anammox, NDFO, iron-reduction, etc.) bacterial communities, resulting in different total nitrogen removal efficiencies and rates. In batch tests, the optimal DO concentration was 0.50-0.68 mg/L with a maximal total nitrogen removal efficiency of 98.7 %. Fe(II) in the sludge not only competed with nitrite oxidizing bacteria for DO to prevent complete nitrification, but promoted the transcription of NarG and NirK genes (10.5 and 3.5 times higher than the group without Fe(II) addition) as indicated by the reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), resulting in increased NDFO rate (by 2.7 times) and promoted NO2--N generated from NO3--N, which back fed the Anammox process, achieving near-complete nitrogen removal. The reduction of Fe(III) by iron-reducing bacteria (IRB) and hydrolytic and fermentative anaerobes enabled a sustainable Fe(II)/Fe(III) recycling, avoiding the need in continuous Fe(II) or Fe (III) dosage. The coupled system is expected to benefit the development of novel autotrophic nitrogen removal processes with neglectable energy and material consumptions for the treatment of wastewater with low organic carbon and NH4+-N contents in underdeveloped regions, such as decentralized rural wastewaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yushen Zhang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Sijia Ji
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Peiran Xie
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yitong Liang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hang Chen
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liping Chen
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Chaohai Wei
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration in Industrial Clusters, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Wastes Pollution Control and Recycling, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhongpu Yang
- Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Guanglei Qiu
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration in Industrial Clusters, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Wastes Pollution Control and Recycling, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Wang Y, Tan L, Garnier P, Houot S, Jimenez J, Patureau D, Zeng Y. Predicting the Stability of Organic Matter Originating from Different Waste Treatment Procedures. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:2151. [PMID: 36767518 PMCID: PMC9916240 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Recycling organic wastes into farmland faces a double challenge: increasing the carbon storage of soil while mitigating CO2 emission from soil. Predicting the stability of organic matter (OM) in wastes and treatment products can be helpful in dealing with this contradiction. This work proposed a modeling approach integrating an OM characterization protocol into partial least squares (PLS) regression. A total of 31 organic wastes, and their products issued from anaerobic digestion, composting, and digestion-composting treatment were characterized using sequential extraction and three-dimension (3D) fluorescence spectroscopy. The apportionment of carbon in different fractions and fluorescence spectra revealed that the OM became less accessible and biodegradable after treatments, especially the composting. This was proven by the decrease in CO2 emission from soil incubation. The PLS model successfully predicted the stability of solid digestate, compost, and compost of solid digestate in the soil by using only the characterized variables of non-treated wastes. The results suggested that it would be possible to predict the stability of OM from organic wastes after different treatment procedures. It is helpful to choose the most suitable and economic treatment procedure to stabilize labile organic carbon in wastes and hence minimize CO2 emission after the application of treatment products to the soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, 72 Bing Hai Avenue, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Lekun Tan
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, 72 Bing Hai Avenue, Qingdao 266237, China
- Qingdao ProBio Biotech Co., Ltd., Block B, Building 3, Haichuang Center, Blue Silicon Valley, Qingdao 266200, China
| | - Patricia Garnier
- AgroParisTech, INRAE, Université Paris Saclay, UMR ECOSYS, F-78850 Thiverval Grignon, France
| | - Sabine Houot
- AgroParisTech, INRAE, Université Paris Saclay, UMR ECOSYS, F-78850 Thiverval Grignon, France
| | - Julie Jimenez
- French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Montpellier, LBE, INRAE, 102 Avenue des Etangs, F-11100 Narbonne, France
| | - Dominique Patureau
- French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Montpellier, LBE, INRAE, 102 Avenue des Etangs, F-11100 Narbonne, France
| | - Yang Zeng
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, 72 Bing Hai Avenue, Qingdao 266237, China
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Chen P, Zhang L, Li Y, Liang J. Insight to maturity during biogas residue from food waste composting in terms of multivariable interaction. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:71785-71795. [PMID: 35604592 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20616-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study used biogas residue produced by anaerobic fermentation of food waste as the raw material in large-scale windrow composting. The effects of the addition of a microbial consortium on the physical and chemical properties and stability of composting of biogas residue were studied. The maturity of food waste biogas residue during composting was investigated by multivariate interaction of environmental, maturity, and nutrient parameters, using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results showed that the temperature of T2 compost with the microbial consortium increased more rapidly. The pH ranges of T1 (without the microbial consortium) and T2 were 8.75-9.15 and 8.42-9.27, respectively; the electrical conductivity (EC) ranges of T1 and T2 were 2.74-3.95 mS/cm and 2.81-3.85 mS/cm, respectively; the degradation rates of organic matter (OM) in T1 and T2 were 21.74% and 33.62%, respectively; and the total nitrogen (TN) ranges of T1 and T2 were 1.93-3.10% and 1.80-3.21%, respectively. By the end of composting, the germination indices (GI) of T1 and T2 were 20.57% and 64.24%, respectively. The total oxygen consumption after 4 days (AT4) was 1.88 mg-O2/g and 1.2 mg-O2/g in T1 and T2, respectively. SEM of T1 showed that compost temperature and EC were important factors affecting compost maturity. These factors highly significantly affected OM, which in turn affected AT4 of the biogas residue composting. SEM of T2 showed that compost temperature, pH, and EC affected OM, which in turn affected compost maturity. Temperature affected compost maturity by affecting AT4 and GI. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the overall score of T2 was higher than that of T1, indicating that the addition of the microbial consortium was beneficial for industrial-scale composting of biogas residue produced by anaerobic digestion of food waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Chen
- Shanghai Academy of Landscape Architecture Science and Planning, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Landscaping On Challenging Urban Sites, 899 Longwu Road, Shanghai, 200232, People's Republic of China
| | - Lang Zhang
- Shanghai Academy of Landscape Architecture Science and Planning, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Landscaping On Challenging Urban Sites, 899 Longwu Road, Shanghai, 200232, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuezhong Li
- Shanghai Academy of Landscape Architecture Science and Planning, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Landscaping On Challenging Urban Sites, 899 Longwu Road, Shanghai, 200232, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Liang
- Shanghai Academy of Landscape Architecture Science and Planning, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Landscaping On Challenging Urban Sites, 899 Longwu Road, Shanghai, 200232, People's Republic of China.
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Qiu X, Zhou G, Wang H. Nanoscale zero-valent iron inhibits the horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in chicken manure compost. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 422:126883. [PMID: 34416685 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Livestock manure has been identified as a significant hotspot for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the impact of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) on the fate of ARGs during livestock manure composting remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the evolution of ARGs in chicken manure compost exposed to 100 and 600 mg kg-1 nZVI. The results showed that nZVI addition reduced the concentration of some antibiotics such as doxycycline and sulfamethoxazole. Furthermore, nZVI addition decreased the abundances of most ARGs at the end of composting, but nZVI dosage did not have any significant effect. The abundances of the dominant ARGs (sul1 and sul2) were significantly correlated to the class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1). A network analysis revealed that the genera Bacteroides, Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Thiopseudomonas and Pseudomonas were the main potential hosts for multiple ARGs, and the decreased abundance of these bacteria contributed to the removal of ARGs. Structural equation models demonstrated that the reduction in intI1 played a predominant role in ARG removal. The nZVI also had direct effects on the intI1 abundance. These findings suggest that the addition of nZVI is a promising strategy to minimize ARG release in chicken manure compost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuwen Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecological Simulation and Environmental Health in Yangtze River Basin, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China; College of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China
| | - Guixiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Huijuan Wang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecological Simulation and Environmental Health in Yangtze River Basin, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China; College of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China
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Peng W, Wang Z, Shu Y, Lü F, Zhang H, Shao L, He P. Fate of a biobased polymer via high-solid anaerobic co-digestion with food waste and following aerobic treatment: Insights on changes of polymer physicochemical properties and the role of microbial and fungal communities. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 343:126079. [PMID: 34610428 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Degradation of bioplastics in food-waste-treating anaerobic digestion (AD) plants is becoming an increasingly concerning issue as they are inevitably mixed with food waste during the waste collection process. The aim of this study was to assess the degradation of PBAT/PLA based biopolymer bags during mesophilic and thermophilic AD, co-digested with food waste, and subsequent aerobic post-treatment. After the AD process, no discernable biological degradation was observed for all of the PBAT/PLA polymers. The comparison of FTIR, XRD, TG analysis and contact angle analysis between raw and degraded PBAT/PLA polymer revealed structural changes after anaerobic incubation. Subsequent aerobic treatment facilitated the degradation of the PBAT/PLA polymers from thermophilic AD, which was attributed to the polymer-degrading microorganisms Brevundimonas and Sphingobacterium. Physical disintegration of the PBAT/PLA polymer was observed under thermophilic conditions. Those undegraded polymer fragments could affect digestate quality and increase the risk of releasing microplastics into the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Peng
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Multi-source Solid Wastes Co-processing and Energy Utilization, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Zhijie Wang
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Multi-source Solid Wastes Co-processing and Energy Utilization, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Yinhui Shu
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Multi-source Solid Wastes Co-processing and Energy Utilization, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Fan Lü
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Multi-source Solid Wastes Co-processing and Energy Utilization, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Multi-source Solid Wastes Co-processing and Energy Utilization, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Liming Shao
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Multi-source Solid Wastes Co-processing and Energy Utilization, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Pinjing He
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Multi-source Solid Wastes Co-processing and Energy Utilization, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
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Zinc Plus Biopolymer Coating Slows Nitrogen Release, Decreases Ammonia Volatilization from Urea and Improves Sunflower Productivity. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13183170. [PMID: 34578067 PMCID: PMC8472901 DOI: 10.3390/polym13183170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the global agriculture productivity is heavily relied on the use of chemical fertilizers. However, the low nutrient utilization efficiency (NUE) is the main obstacle for attaining higher crop productivity and reducing nutrients losses from these fertilizers to the environment. Coating fertilizer with micronutrients and biopolymer can offer an opportunity to overcome these fertilizers associated problems. Here, we coated urea with zinc sulphate (ZnS) and ZnS plus molasses (ZnSM) to control its N release, decrease the ammonia (NH3) volatilization and improve N utilization efficiency by sunflower. Morphological analysis confirmed a uniform coating layer formation of both formulations on urea granules. A slow release of N from ZnS and ZnSM was observed in water. After soil application, ZnSM decreased the NH3 emission by 38% compared to uncoated urea. Most of the soil parameters did not differ between ZnS and uncoated urea treatment. Microbial biomass N and Zn in ZnSM were 125 and 107% higher than uncoated urea, respectively. Soil mineral N in ZnSM was 21% higher than uncoated urea. Such controlled nutrient availability in the soil resulted in higher sunflower grain yield (53%), N (80%) and Zn (126%) uptakes from ZnSM than uncoated fertilizer. Hence, coating biopolymer with Zn on urea did not only increase the sunflower yield and N utilization efficiency but also meet the micronutrient Zn demand of sunflower. Therefore, coating urea with Zn plus biopolymer is recommended to fertilizer production companies for improving NUE, crop yield and reducing urea N losses to the environment in addition to fulfil crop micronutrient demand.
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