Potential use of wastes from pig abattoirs as a nutrient source in agriculture

Abstract

Brazil is one of the world’s biggest pig producers and exporters of pork, with estimates of 3.7 Mt in 2024. Such expansion also means a production of large amounts of residues, often causing soil contamination by metals and pathogenic organisms. Consequently, strategies should be employed to minimize potential pollution and allow the use of this type of organic waste in agriculture. Among these strategies, stabilization processes that eliminate or reduce these metals and pathogenic organisms to safe levels should be employed so that this material may be an organic source of nutrients for plants, through its use as organic fertilizer or substrate for seedlings, due to its nutritional potential. Studies on abattoir wastes as an organic compound in agriculture are still insufficient. Current review of the literature provides the problems caused by pig abattoir residues when applied irregularly in the soil and alternatives for its use in agriculture.