Fish-Waste Based Fertilizer
Fertilizers applied to land can end up in waterways and cause eutrophication. Eutrophication, excess nutrients in water, can negatively affect water quality, interfere with the aquatic food chain, and kill aquatic organisms.
One of the main businesses in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a community near the campus, is fish processing. The processors are no longer allowed to put fish waste into the sewage treatment system, which passes the nutrient-rich waste to the nearby water of Buzzards Bay. A local company has offered to take the fish waste from the local processors and create a fertilizer, for retail sale locally, under the name Organic Gem.
UMass Dartmouth will use the fertilizer on campus and provide documentation through soil analysis, and root growth measurements, of its success. The soil analysis will be done in conjunction with the UMass Amherst Extension Service. Ultimately, we would like to have a fertilizer that actually improves soil quality. The advantages of using fish-waste based fertilizer are:
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We aid local businesses with waste disposal and divert the waste to a useful application;
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We support a new local business in its innovative method to manage waste;
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The campus is a showplace to research and show the practical application of a new product.
For more information contact Lee Nason.
Last Updated On: 11/25/05
