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Ultra-high temperature bacterial agents enhance heavy metal passivation and antibiotic degradation in compost

Summary

This study develops a faster, more effective way to treat pig manure contaminated with both heavy metals and antibiotics. By combining special heat-loving bacteria with activated carbon and optimized moisture levels, the composting process reaches very high temperatures that accelerate both metal immobilization and antibiotic breakdown. The method successfully removes over 99% of harmful antibiotics while stabilizing heavy metals within 30 days, producing safe fertilizer that meets quality standards.

Background

Co-contamination of heavy metals and antibiotics in livestock manure presents significant environmental challenges. Traditional composting methods have limited efficacy in addressing this dual contamination while meeting practical timelines for large-scale applications. This study addresses the gap between individual additive effectiveness and their synergistic potential in integrated remediation systems.

Objective

To develop an optimized ultra-high-temperature (UHT) composting process that synergistically enhances heavy metal passivation and antibiotic degradation in co-contaminated livestock manure through integrated parameter optimization and bioaugmentation with thermophilic microbial consortia.

Results

Optimal parameters were identified as 60% moisture content, 25:1 C/N ratio, and 10% activated carbon addition. The high-dose UHTMC (1.0%) achieved peak temperatures of 84.3°C with ultra-high temperatures maintained for 15 days, resulting in 56.0% Cu and 57.3% Zn passivation rates, and >99.4% degradation of tetracycline, oxytetracycline, and chlortetracycline. Activated carbon emerged as the most influential factor for both heavy metal and antibiotic removal.

Conclusion

Bioaugmented UHT composting synergistically enhances microbial metabolic activity, effectively passivates heavy metals through adsorption and complexation, and achieves near-complete antibiotic degradation. This integrated approach provides an efficient, resource-oriented strategy for treating co-contaminated livestock waste while producing high-quality organic fertilizer compliant with relevant standards.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMC12746482, PMID: 41472806
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