Agricultural Solids Waste in South of Jordan: Facts and Figures

Abstract

Agricultural solid wastes in the southern part of Jordan were estimated and classified. Data collection method was used to determine the types and quantities of different agricultural solid wastes. Human excreta and cattle manure were found to be serious environmental problems in the region. Chemical analysis of different solid wastes showed variable organic and nitrogen content which affect the selection of treatment process. Anaerobic digestion (AD) was tested and found to be a suitable unit operation to treat a wide variety of agricultural solid wastes. Biogas production rate from AD ranged from 0.3 m 3 /kg COD to 0.61 m 3 /kg COD which is considered 80% to 90% of yield. The optimum C/N ratio and TVS for AD was found to be 22 ± 2 and 70% ± 5%, respectively. The amount of energy that can be produced from energy crops and animal manures was estimated to be 12.8 Mtoe and 0.34 Mtoe, respectively. Methane biogas production rate was estimated to be 37 m 3 /ton for substrate consist of mixture of different agricultural solid waste of 50% wastewater, 40% Cattle manure, 5% straw and 5% sawdust.

Availability and the Possibility of Employing Wastes and Biomass Materials Energy in Jordan

“…Jordan generates large amounts of animal, human, and agricultural waste each year, of which one-third is food waste [21]. Mousa [40] reported that approximately 50-65% of global food is disposed of as waste, which is significantly higher than Jordan's food wastage.…”

“…The optimal C/N ratio for conventional treatment methods, such as anaerobic digestion, is approximately 20-30 according to the literature. At low C/N ratios, ammonium (NH 4 ) is produced during the biodegradation process [21]. Al Momani et al [21] conclude that the experimental chemical analysis of these solids shows that the C/N ratio of straw, sawdust, wood, and cattle produced in this region is approximately 34, 33.5, 33, and 24, respectively.…”

“…At low C/N ratios, ammonium (NH 4 ) is produced during the biodegradation process [21]. Al Momani et al [21] conclude that the experimental chemical analysis of these solids shows that the C/N ratio of straw, sawdust, wood, and cattle produced in this region is approximately 34, 33.5, 33, and 24, respectively. Furthermore, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of straw, sawdust, wood, and cattle was found to be almost 450, 380, 380, and 240, respectively, while the biological oxygen demand (BOD) of straw, sawdust, wood, and cattle was approximately 435, 366, 370, and 189 (mg/L), respectively.…”

“…Agricultural, municipal, and industrial sources generate millions of tons of solid waste worldwide [10]. These figures are expected to rise as the world's population grows and the extent of urbanization increases [21]. Biomass is abundant on Earth and is considered one of the most common sources of renewable energy (RE) [22].…”

The environmental challenges, problems, and management: A case study of Jordan

“…Millions of tons of solid waste are produced in Jordan from agricultural sourcesMunicipal and industrial sectors annually (Momani & Shawaqfah, 2013). The manufacturing process has led to an increase and rising population growth rates due to forced migration in the recent period have increased rapidly in the production of solid waste in Jordan, which has led to increased pressure on infrastructure existing waste manage-ment, In a study of the Alakidr waste dump, physical and chemical measurements were estimated within a 6 km area of the landfill site and included impacts on the direction of groundwater flow, The result of the study showed that the landfill posed a serious threat to local groundwater (Abu-Rukah & Al-Kofahi, 2001)however, current solid waste management services within local municipalities are no longer at the same level which was before the large influx of refugees, and the daily rate of solid waste generation has increased significantly, which is generated daily in Irbid350 million tons of municipal solid waste and Al Mafraq, Which should be collected and transferred by the responsible municipalities to final disposal sites.…”