Author: Evgheni Ermolaev

Visit from our dear neighbours

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On the 12th of March we had a visit from our colleagues at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO). On the visit came Trond MÊhlum, Bente FÞreid, Thorsten Heidorn and Anders Enoksen. From our group Björn VinnerÄs, Jennifer McConville and Cecilia Lalander joined. We presented about our different ongoing projects on safe nutrient recycling: Björn presented on urine drying and Cecilia on fly larvae composting while Jennifer presented her work on the readiness of the Swedish wastewater sector for a technology transition. We were updated on an ongoing project on sustainable and circular urban farming systems that is a collaboration between stakeholders in Europe and China (Sino-European innovative green and smart cities). We were happy to know that the delegation from Norway come to visit us for inspiration on possible technologies. We hope that we in the future will be able to collaborate on some of these exciting technologies.

Contact: Cecilia Lalander

Lovisa Lindberg, M.Sc. UtslÀpp av vÀxthusgaser och ammoniak under fluglarvskompostering

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Dagligen lÀcker vÀxthusgaser ut till atmosfÀren vÀrlden över som pÄverkar klimatet negativt. Dessa lÀckage sker bland annat frÄn illa skötta och oplanerade deponier dÀr mycket organiskt avfall hamnar. Vad kan göras för att fÄ ut nÄgot utav vÀrde frÄn organiskt avfall och förhindra att det hamnar pÄ deponier vilket skulle minska utslÀppen av vÀxthusgaser? Den amerikanska vapenflugans larver kan anvÀndas för detta ÀndamÄl dÄ de livnÀr sig pÄ organiskt avfall och kan halvera mÀngden avfall. Larverna kan separeras frÄn det behandlade avfallet och anvÀndas i djurfoder och behandlingsresten kan anvÀndas som organiskt gödningsmedel. Resurserna i det organiska avfallet behöver Äterinföras i kretsloppet för att skapa ett hÄllbart samhÀlle dÄ tillgÄngarna pÄ jorden sinar, detta genom att avfallet omvandlas och att resurserna i avfallet anvÀnds.

Eftersom att det Àr förbjudet att utfodra produktionsdjur med animaliska biprodukter enligt artikel 22.1.b i Europaparlamentets och rÄdets förordning (EG) nr 1774/2002, sÄ kan inte larverna utfodras med organiskt avfall dÄ flugan anses vara ett produktionsdjur. Vegetabiliska substrat Àr dÀremot tillÄtna att utfodra fluglarverna med men det behövs mer kunskap om hur larverna ska kunna tillgodogöra sig den svÄrtillgÀngliga nÀringen i dessa substrat. En lösning skulle kunna vara att förbehandla substratet vilket undersöktes i denna studie dÀr förbehandlingarna utfördes med svamp respektive med ammoniumlösning.

Syftet med denna studie var att utvÀrdera utslÀpp av vÀxthusgaserna koldioxid, lustgas och metangas samt ammoniak frÄn fluglarvskompostering och hur effektivt fluglarvskomposteringen fungerar för nedbrytning av vegetabiliska substrat. För mer ingÄende information om Àmnet hittas i rapporten, upplagd i Diva.

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Lovisa Lindberg, M.Sc. Emissions of greenhouse gases and ammonia during fly larvae composting

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Every day, greenhouse gases leak out to the atmosphere around the world, which has a negative impact on the climate. These leakages occur, among other things, from poorly managed and unplanned landfills where a lot of the organic waste ends up. What can be done to get something out of value from organic waste and prevent it from ending up in landfills, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions? The black soldier fly larvae can be used for this purpose as they feed on organic waste and can halve the amount of waste. The larvae can be separated from the treated waste and then be used in animal feed and the treatment residue can be used as an organic fertilizer. The resources in the organic waste need to be reintroduced into the cycle in order to create a sustainable society since the assets of the earth are declining, this by converting waste and using the resources in waste.

Since it is prohibited to feed production animals with animal by-products according to Article 22 (1) (b) of Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the larvae cannot be fed organic waste because the fly is considered to be a production animal. Vegetable substrates, on the other hand, are permitted to feed the larvae, but more knowledge is needed on how the larvae can absorb the difficult nutrients of these substrates. One solution could be to pretreat the substrate, which was investigated in this study where the pretreatments were performed with fungi or with ammonium solution, respectively.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate emissions of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane gas, and ammonia from fly larvae composting and how efficiently fly larvae composting works for the degradation of vegetable substrates. For more detailed information on the subject, read the thesis (in Swedish) or abstract (English), published in Diva.

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Nature awareness champions competition participants visit

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Participants of the “NaturvetarmĂ€starna” competition in knowledge in natural sciences from 9th grade of Rosendalsgymnasiet visited our group at the Fly Larvae Composting Laboratory.
Björn VinnerÄs, leader of the Environmental Engineering group, is introducing our vision and different directions of our research to the visitors. Photo: Evgheni Ermolaev.

The vision is to develop and evaluate technological solutions for safe and sustainable nutrient recycling from waste and wastewater to agriculture in a circular system.

The demonstration included two of several systems that the group is developing: organic waste management using black soldier fly larvae composting and sustainable fertilizer production through urine drying. Both system designs and components were presented and sparked multiple questions and discussions with the engaged pupils.

Working with K-12 pupils is a part of the ongoing group effort to introduce sustainable environmental engineering approaches to society and help in the effort of Sweden reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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Evgheni Ermolaev

Nordisk insektproduktion diskuterad pÄ en workshop i Danmark

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Nordisk Insektworkshop med inriktning pÄ utveckling av insektproduktion för foder och mat, organiserat av Danmarks tekniska universtitet (DTU) och Nordisk arbetsgrupp för mikrobiologi och djurhÀlsa och vÀlfÀrd (NMDD), hölls i Roskilde, Danmark. Evgheni Ermolaev frÄn vÄr grupp och Bettina Julin frÄn Livsmedelsverket representerade Sverige vid mötet.

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Nordic insect production discussed at a workshop in Denmark

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Nordic Insect workshop focusing on development of insect production for feed and food was arranged by DTU and Nordic Working Group for Microbiology & Animal Health and Welfare (NMDD) In Roskilde, Denmark. Evgheni Ermolaev from our group and Bettina Julin from the Swedish National Food Agency represented Sweden at the meeting.

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IvĂŁ Guidini joins the environmental engineering group

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Foto: Viktoria Wiklicky

I am a biologist from São Paulo State University (Unesp) and a PhD student from the Unesp Aquaculture Center (Caunesp), where I’m currently studying different handling methods of windrow thermophilic composting using fish carcasses (as nitrogen source) and wood shavings/peanut shells (as carbon sources). My study involves practical information about the composting process, economic assessment analysis and the influence of the organic composts on soil fertility, with special regard to nitrogen.
In SLU, I will study the BSF composting process using fish carcasses as larvae feed, with two main goals. In the first experiment, we will evaluate the improvement of larvae’s nutritional quality by supplying food waste and fish carcasses over time in different proportions. In the second experiment, we will verify the dynamics of pathogen reduction by means of the BSF larvae composting system, using fish carcasses as feed.

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IvĂŁ Guidini ansluter sig till kretsloppsteknikgruppen

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Foto: Viktoria Wiklicky

Jag Àr biolog frÄn São Paulo State University (Unesp) och Àr doktorand frÄn Unesp Aquaculture Center (Caunesp), dÀr jag för nÀrvarande studerar olika metoder för hantering dödafisk. Jag har tidigare studerat termofil kompostering, dÀr dödfisken anvÀnts som kvÀvekÀlla, medan trÀspÄn /jordnötsskal anvÀnds som kolkÀlla. Jag har studerat komposteringsprocessen, gjort en ekonomisk bedömningsanalys samt undersökt de organiska gödningsmedlens pÄverkan pÄ jordens fertilitet.
Under min tid vid SLU ska jag studera fluglarvskomposteringsprocessen av dödfisk. Studie har tvÄ huvudmÄl: 1) att utvÀrdera fluglarvskomposteringens processeffektiviteten och larvernas nÀringskvalitet vid behandling av dödfisk ensamt och vid sambehandling av dödfisk och vegetabiliskt avfall; 2) att utvÀrdera vad som hÀnder med den zoonotiska sjukdomsalstrande bakterien Salmonella spp. under fluglarvskompostering av dödfisk.

Kontakt
Cecilia Lalander

PĂ„verkar larvspecifika bakterier komposteringsprocessen?

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Foto: Evgheni Ermolaev

Jag heter Kristina Lundgren och lÀser till civilingenjör inom miljö- och vattenteknik pÄ UU och SLU. Under hösten kommer jag att göra mitt exjobb pÄ institutionen för energi och teknik pÄ SLU inom Àmnet fluglarvskompostering med amerikansk vapenfluga. Projektet gÄr ut pÄ att se hur larvspecifika bakterier pÄverkar komposteringsprocessen. Tanken Àr att se om det gÄr att göra processen mer stabil eller effektiv genom att tillsÀtta en eller flera bakterier i substratet som larverna ska bearbeta. Det finns Ànnu inte sÄ mÄnga studier gjorda med det hÀr fokuset, sÄ det ska bli vÀldigt spÀnnande att se vad mina försök visar.

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Cecilia Lalander

Effects of larvae-specific bacteria on composting process

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Foto: Evgheni Ermolaev

My name is Kristina Lundgren and I am a student in a master programme in Environmental and Water Engineering at Uppsala University and SLU. Starting in autumn, I will work on my Master Degree project at the Department of Energy and Technology, SLU, in the field of fly larvae composting using black soldier fly. In the project I am investigating how larva-specific bacteria affect the composting process. The idea is to see if it is possible to make the process more stable or effective by adding one or more bacteria to the substrate that the larvae will process. There are not so many studies that have this focus, so it will be very exciting to see what my experiments will show.

Contact
Cecilia Lalander