Heavy-Metal Phytoremediation from Livestock Wastewater and Exploitation of Exhausted Biomass

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture is aimed at long-term crop and livestock production with a minimal impact on the environment. However, agricultural practices from animal production can contribute to global pollution due to heavy metals from the feed additives that are used to ensure the nutritional requirements and also promote animal health and optimize production. The bioavailability of essential mineral sources is limited; thus, the metals are widely found in the manure. Via the manure, metallic ions can contaminate livestock wastewater, drastically reducing its potential recycling for irrigation. Phytoremediation, which is an efficient and cost-effective cleanup technique, could be implemented to reduce the wastewater pollution from livestock production, in order to maintain the water conservation. Plants use various strategies for the absorption and translocation of heavy metals, and they have been widely used to remediate livestock wastewater. In addition, the pollutants concentrated in the plants can be exhausted and used as heat to enhance plant growth and further concentrate the metals, making recycling a possible option. The biomass of the plants can also be used for biogas production in anaerobic fermentation. Combining phytoremediation and biorefinery processes would add value to both approaches and facilitate metal recovery. This review focuses on the concept of agro-ecology, specifically the excessive use of heavy metals in animal production, the various techniques and adaptations of the heavy-metal phytoremediation from livestock wastewater, and further applications of exhausted phytoremediated biomass.

Evaluation of Tannin Extracts, Leonardite and Tributyrin Supplementation on Diarrhoea Incidence and Gut Microbiota of Weaned Piglets

“…5 Calculation performed with Purimix System ® software (Fabermatica, Cremona, Italy). 6 DE: digestible energy content estimated from NRC (2012).…”

“…This need was particularly highlighted by the removal of zinc oxide licensed as a medicinal product as it is involved in environmental pollution and in the co-selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria [5,6]. In fact, following the ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters, therapeutic antibiotics and zinc oxide have become more widely used [7][8][9] to prevent porcine colibacillosis, improve suboptimal weight gain, and feed efficiency.…”

Translational Approach to Induce and Evaluate Verocytotoxic E. coli O138 Based Disease in Piglets

“…After the European ban of antibiotics [ 14 ], traditionally used to control PWD, an increased use of Zinc oxide (ZnO) was observed to control enteric disorders, with consequent negative impacts on the environment and enhanced spread of antibiotic-resistant strains [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Therefore, the development of effective alternative tools is needed to reduce disease incidence and guarantee the performance, health and welfare of pigs.…”

An Approach to Improve the Water Quality on Industrial Effluent by Phytoremediation with Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes)

“…Later only, the phytoremediation method was introduced to improve the quality of the wastewater. The following figures show the different methods of industrial effluent removal methods [25].…”