RES2VALHUM

Organic Residues Valorization: Production of Humic Substances

The project, led by the University of Minho, was one of the projects approved in the First Call of the Interreg V-A Spain-Portugal Program with an amount of more than 2.1 million euros. This project is included in Axis 3, “Sustainable growth through cross-border cooperation for risk prevention and better management of natural resources”, with the participation of partners from Galicia, namely SOGAMA, CVAN and the University of Santiago de Compostela. Portuguese partners include Lipor, Braval and CVR. The general objectives are to promote composting as an instrument for the management of organic waste, with the consequent reduction of the amount of waste deposited in the landfills. The organic waste streams produced in the northern region of Portugal and Galicia will be characterized and the compost produced will be evaluated and optimized for the content of humic substances, chemical profile and biological activity. The aim is to increase the quantity and quality of the compost produced, not only by the partners of the project, but also by other entities of this region. The humic substances have water retention and ion exchange capacity and fertilizer, being applied in the treatment of agricultural soils to reduce their degradation. It is also possible to use them in cosmetics and nutraceuticals enhancing new areas of business and employment.

 

Equipa do CQUMinho – Maria Fernanda Proença (Principal Researcher),

Maria de Fátima Bento (Researcher)
Ana Paula Bettencourt (Researcher)
Maria Dulce Geraldo (Researcher)
Paula Margarida Ferreira (Researcher)