Abstract

Towards chrome free chicken-A pilot scale study to remove chromium from leather waste, a source for poultry feed manufacture

Author(s): P.N.Sudha, Srinivasan Latha, V.L.Nirmal Bharghavi

Although the leather industry is environmentally important as user of byproduct of the meat industry, it is perceived as a consumer of resources and a producer of pollutants. Only 20% of the raw material waste is converted to leather. There are more than 900 tanneries operating in the 5 districts of Tamilnadu, of which 584 are in Vellore District. The wastes produced from these industries have caused irreversible damage to the surrounding environment. The resultant waste produced in bulk every single day at the tanneries is seen fit to be used as poultry feed for the benefit of both the poultry farmers and tannery operators. It helps the former to buy cheap feed and the latter make money for a product causing disposal problem. A Sinister collusion between tanneries and poultry farmers is posing glare danger to the health and lives of millions of unsuspecting chicken lovers. There were three important by products obtained during the process. The protein, Gelable protein and chromium. Hence by this process it is possible to recover maximum amount of all the value added products thus reusing the product once considered as a waste. Hence fromthe results it is evident that the hydrolysis of the leather wastes under suitable conditions and in the presence of better hydrolyzing agents can help us in recovering the value added products fromthematerial otherwise considered as a waste.