Comparative Analysis of Commercial Organic Fertilizers Revealing Elevated Nutrient and Contaminant Loads in Pig Manure-Based Fertilizer
- 1Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, , Beijing 100081, China; (J.Y.); (C.W.)
- 2College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, , Shijiazhuang 050018, China;
Abstract
Organic fertilizers are rich in nutrients but also frequently contain multiple contaminants that pose a potential threat to the agricultural environment. However, comprehensive investigations into commercial organic fertilizers remain scarce. In this study, 54 commercial organic fertilizer samples—including animal manure-based fertilizers, BOF (bio-organic fertilizer), and other types of fertilizers—were systematically investigated. For OM (organic matter), 48.15% of samples fell below the 30% w/w threshold specified by the industry standard NY/T 525-2021. The exceedance rates of Cu and Zn across all fertilizers were 14.81% and 12.96%, respectively, relative to the German Biowaste Ordinance (BioAbfV) limits. Differences in properties among geographic origins were less pronounced than those among fertilizer types. Pig manure-based fertilizers had the highest nutrient contents, especially phosphorus, but also the highest levels of contaminants, including antibiotics, heavy metals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). BOF exhibited the best overall quality, with a total nitrogen content 2.0–4.4 times that of the manure-based fertilizers, together with higher organic matter and lower contaminant levels. This study establishes a comprehensive baseline for commercial organic fertilizers in China, providing critical empirical evidence for future industry governance and fertilizer management.
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BibTeX
@article{li2026comparative,
title = {{Comparative Analysis of Commercial Organic Fertilizers Revealing Elevated Nutrient and Contaminant Loads in Pig Manure-Based Fertilizer}},
author = {Na Li and Jing Ye and Chaoyang Wang and Changxiong Zhu and Hongna Li},
journal = {Microorganisms},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/microorganisms14102364},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13707988},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comparative Analysis of Commercial Organic Fertilizers Revealing Elevated Nutrient and Contaminant Loads in Pig Manure-Based Fertilizer
AU - Na Li
AU - Jing Ye
AU - Chaoyang Wang
AU - Changxiong Zhu
AU - Hongna Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Microorganisms
DO - 10.3390/microorganisms14102364
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13707988
AB - Organic fertilizers are rich in nutrients but also frequently contain multiple contaminants that pose a potential threat to the agricultural environment. However, comprehensive investigations into commercial organic fertilizers remain scarce. In this study, 54 commercial organic fertilizer samples—including animal manure-based fertilizers, BOF (bio-organic fertilizer), and other types of fertilizers—were systematically investigated. For OM (organic matter), 48.15% of samples fell below the 30% w/w threshold specified by the industry standard NY/T 525-2021. The exceedance rates of Cu and Zn across all fertilizers were 14.81% and 12.96%, respectively, relative to the German Biowaste Ordinance (BioAbfV) limits. Differences in properties among geographic origins were less pronounced than those among fertilizer types. Pig manure-based fertilizers had the highest nutrient contents, especially phosphorus, but also the highest levels of contaminants, including antibiotics, heavy metals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). BOF exhibited the best overall quality, with a total nitrogen content 2.0–4.4 times that of the manure-based fertilizers, together with higher organic matter and lower contaminant levels. This study establishes a comprehensive baseline for commercial organic fertilizers in China, providing critical empirical evidence for future industry governance and fertilizer management.
SN - 2076-2607
ER -