Environmental safety aspects of using the digestate from an agricultural biogas plant

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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Instytut Uprawy Nawożenia i Gleboznawstwa – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy w Puławach
Abstract
Description
This review aims to summarize research findings and provide an up-to-date assessment of the current state of knowl- edge on the environmental safety of digestate, including its effects on soil, crop yields and animal health. Topics covered include the potential benefits and drawbacks of using digestate as a fertilizer. In recent years, the biogas industry in Europe has experienced significant growth. Many countries are actively promoting bio- gas production as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve renewable energy targets. As a result, there has been a corresponding increase in the production of digestate remain- ing after the anaerobic digestion of organic waste. Digestate is a source of growing concern due to its potential adverse effects on the environment, specifically concerning soil quality and the risk of nutrient runoff. A number of studies have been conducted in European countries to assess the safety of digestate for the en- vironment and identify ways to reduce its negative impact.
Keywords
environmental safety, digestate, agricultural biogas plants, nutrients
Citation
Polish Journal of Agronomy 2023, 52, 54–61