Qualitative assessment of six-animal dungs in university teaching and research farm

Abstract

Animal dungs constitute environmental nuisance. This made the daily generated dungs of animals (poultry, rabbit, sheep, goat, pig and cattle) from university teaching and research farms to be comparatively studied for essential elements (N, P, K, Zn and Cu) and heavy metals (Cd and Pb) for their qualities. Animal dungs were sampled four times in 1^st, 6^th and 12^th month interval from May 2018 to May 2019, bucked and analysed for N, P, K, Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb using standardized methods. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Level of N was highest: 1.23 ± 0.17 mg/ kg in poultry dungs in the 12^th month. Order of levels of P in all the dungs was observed to be rabbit > cattle > sheep > goat > poultry > pig while order of the determined K was poultry > rabbit > cattle > goat > sheep > pig and were significantly (p < 0.05) different from the 1^st to the 12^th month. Level of Zn increased in rabbit, sheep and cattle dungs across the months. Levels (mg/ kg) of Cu: 3.27 ± 1.02 and Pb: 0.53 ± 0.26 were highest in pig dungs in the 1^st month. Order of presence of the elements was Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd with no possibility of detrimental effects because of their low contents. Elemental contents of the animal dungs differ with potential for sustainable utilization in quality.

Keywords: Animal dungs, Essential elements, Heavy metals, Detrimental effects, Nigeria