Hair from different ethnic groups vary in elemental composition and nitrogen and phosphorus mineralisation in soil

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：NM Malepfane ; P Muchaonyerwa
• 关键词：Elemental composition ; Heavy metals ; Human hair ; Mineralisation ; Nitrogen ; Phosphorus
• 刊名：Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：February 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：189
• 期：2
• 全文大小：
• 刊物类别：Earth and Environmental Science
• 刊物主题：Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Environmental Management; Ecotoxicology; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Ecology;
• 出版者：Springer International Publishing
• ISSN：1573-2959
• 卷排序：189

文摘

Disposal of hair wastes at landfills causes nitrate leaching to ground water, and use of the waste as fertiliser could be a viable option. This study was to determine elemental composition of major hair types in South Africa and their nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) release in soil. Wastes of African, White and Indian hair were obtained from local salons and analysed for carbon (C), N and sulphur (S) with the Leco CNS analyzer, and P, bases, aluminium (Al) and micronutrients, with the ICP. We also conducted an incubation study to determine changes in mineral N and P in soil. Hair wastes were added to soil at increasing rates based on N, incubated at 25 °C with destructive sampling after 0, 28, 56 and 84 days and pH, ammonium-N, nitrate-N and extractable P measured. All data were subjected to analysis of variance. Indian and White hair had higher N than African. White hair had higher C and lower potassium (K) than those of other types. The Fe levels in hair were in the order White > African > Indian, whilst those of Al were African > Indian > White. African hair had higher calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and cobalt (Co) than the other types. Ammonium-N and nitrate-N releases were in the order: Indian > African > White, especially at higher rates. Ammonium-N increased in the first 28 days and declined thereafter, when nitrate-N increased and pH decreased. The findings implied that hair types differ in elemental composition and nitrogen release in soil, with implications on pollution and soil fertility.