The physico-chemical characteristics of fresh and old pig dungs collected from three pig farmsin Port Harcourt Metropolis

The need to source for alternative use of pigs dung to reduce environmental challenges arising from its application as farm manure prompted the study into the physico-chemical attributes of both the fresh and old pig dung in three pig farms(A,R,U) in Port-Harcourt metropolis. The study examined the pH levels, exchangeable nitrate, extractable phosphate, the total organic carbon and the sulphate using methods described by the pH meter, APHA-4500-O3-B, ASTM D515, Walkley black and ASTM D516 respectively. The results indicated that the dung were alkaline ranging from pH 9-12, the nitrate content was high in fresh dung (16.03-19.40) but considerably low in the dry dung (2.36-2.92), the phosphate values were between 7.59-20.81, the sulphate level falls within 1.84-3.79 whereas the total organic carbon were between 2.36-2.92. The result obtained have showed that the fresh dung could be supplemented with other organic substrate to initiate bioremediation of crude oil polluted soil due to its high nitrate content and the dry dung used as feedstuffs for animal nutrients or feedstock for bioenergy generation because of its high fibre content which will help in reducing the ecosystem contamination by pig waste through recycling.