Study of the Leaching Behavior of Banana Peels from Musa Paradisiaca for the Purpose of Making a Liquid Fertilizer

Wémboma YABA^{1, 2,} , Taba To’ora KAGA^{1, 2}, Piyabalo KODOM², Virginie PALLIER¹, Kwamivi Nyonuwosro SEGBEAYA² and Geneviève FEUILLADE¹

¹E2Lim (Eau et Environnement Limoges), UR 24133, ENSIL-ENSCI, University of Limoges, 16 rue Atlantis, 87280 Limoges, France

²LaCOSE (Laboratoire de Chimie Organique et Sciences de l’Environnement), University of Kara, P.O. Box: 404 Kara, Togo

Cite this paper:
Wémboma YABA, Taba To’ora KAGA, Piyabalo KODOM, Virginie PALLIER, Kwamivi Nyonuwosro SEGBEAYA and Geneviève FEUILLADE. Study of the Leaching Behavior of Banana Peels from Musa Paradisiaca for the Purpose of Making a Liquid Fertilizer. American Journal of Environmental Protection. 2026; 14(2):22-29. doi: 10.12691/env-14-2-1

Abstract

This article explores the leaching behavior of Musa paradisiaca banana peels for synthesizing a liquid soil amendment. The banana peels were collected, dried, and finely ground using sieves with mesh sizes of 100 µm, 315 µm, 500 µm, and 1000 µm. Leaching tests were conducted in accordance with standard X30–402/1-4, using a liquid/solid ratio of L/S = 10. Tests were performed on the powder with particle sizes from 100 µm to 315 µm, and the fraction with grain sizes ranging from 315 µm to 500 µm. The results showed that the organic matter content in the various fractions after drying and grinding is nearly constant regardless of particle size. Analysis of the minerals in the powder revealed that it consists primarily of K, N, Ca, P, and Mg, with values of 51.8 g/kg DM; 23.1 g/kg DM; 5.7 g/kg DM; 3.7 g/kg DM; and 3.6 g/kg DM, respectively. Total nitrogen (TN) yields interesting results after 24 hours compared to 48 hours of extraction. For a 24 hours contact time, the S100-315 µm and S315-500 µm particles produced 313.72 mgN/L and 257.7 mgN/L, respectively. For a 48 hours contact time, the S100-315 µm and S315-500 µm particles produced 414.71 mgN/L and 286.15 mgN/L, respectively.. Total phosphorus is higher for 48 hours extraction compared to 24 hours extraction, with an average of 222.25 mgP/L. The ratio COD/N_T = 31.2 ˃ 15–20 and COD/P_T = 44.7 < 50–70; therefore, these results support the use of banana peels to produce a liquid soil amendment.

Keywords:
Musa paradisiaca liquid soil amendment nitrogen phosphorus lixiviation

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	G. Mawlood, O. Al-Rubaie, M. Najm, Y. Sumuu, O. Asri, et A. Saadi, «Enhance the productivity of field crops through bio- and organic fertilization as a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers: A Comprehensive review», Pharaonic J. Sci., vol. 1, no 2, p. 136152, août 2025.
[2]	M. Clark et D. Tilman, «Comparative analysis of environmental impacts of agricultural production systems, agricultural input efficiency, and food choice», Environ. Res. Lett., vol. 12, no 6, p. 064016, juin 2017.
[3]	T. Brunelle et al., «Reducing chemical inputs in agriculture requires a system change», Commun. Earth Environ., vol. 5, no 1, p. 369, juill. 2024.
[4]	D. Egas, S. Azarkamand, C. Casals, S. Ponsá, L. Llenas, et J. Colón, «Life cycle assessment of bio-based fertilizers production systems: where are we and where should we be heading?», Int. J. Life Cycle Assess., vol. 28, no 6, p. 626650, juin 2023.
[5]	E. Montemayor, E. P. Andrade, A. Bonmatí, et A. Antón, «Critical analysis of life cycle inventory datasets for organic crop production systems», Int. J. Life Cycle Assess., vol. 27, no 4, p. 543563, avr. 2022.
[6]	N. Cudecka-Purina et al., «Food Waste Assessment and Household Biowaste Management in Latvia: Towards a Circular Economy», Biomass, vol. 5, no 4, p. 58, déc. 2025.
[7]	K. Kagan, K. Jonak, et A. Wolińska, «The Impact of Reduced N Fertilization Rates According to the “Farm to Fork” Strategy on the Environment and Human Health», Appl. Sci., vol. 14, no 22, p. 10726, janv. 2024.
[8]	S. Figiel, P. Rusek, U. Ryszko, et M. S. Brodowska, «Microbially Enhanced Biofertilizers: Technologies, Mechanisms of Action, and Agricultural Applications», Agronomy, vol. 15, no 5, p. 1191, mai 2025.
[9]	E. E. Ammar et al., «A comprehensive overview of eco-friendly bio-fertilizers extracted from living organisms», Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., vol. 30, no 53, p. 113119113137, nov. 2023.
[10]	J. L. C. Damo, M. Pedro, et M. L. Sison, «Phosphate Solubilization and Plant Growth Promotion by Enterobacter sp. Isolate», Appl. Microbiol., vol. 4, no 3, p. 11771192, sept. 2024.
[11]	S. S. Dhaliwal et al., «Enhanced Organic Carbon Triggers Transformations of Macronutrients, Micronutrients, and Secondary Plant Nutrients and Their Dynamics in the Soil under Different Cropping Systems-A Review», J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr., vol. 24, no 3, p. 52725292, sept. 2024.
[12]	T. N. Yonli et O. Odette, «Les consommateurs des produits maraîchers biologiques à OuagadougouConsumers of organic market garden products in Ouagadougou», Anthropol. Food, janv. 2023.
[13]	T. Suvo, H. Biswas, M. Jewel, Md. S. Islam, et md. shafiqul islam Khan, «Impact of substrate on soilless tomato cultivation», Int. J. Agric. Res. Innov. Technol., vol. 6, p. 82, févr. 2017.
[14]	H. Lee et al., «Pretreatment methods for monitoring microplastics in soil and freshwater sediment samples: A comprehensive review», Sci. Total Environ., vol. 871, p. 161718, mai 2023.
[15]	L. A. M. Lisboa et al., «Morpho-Physiological Assessment of Tomato and Bell Pepper in Response to Nutrient Restriction», Stresses, vol. 4, no 1, p. 172184, mars 2024.
[16]	V. P. Gautam, S. Mishra, et H. Ahmed, «Comparison of total nitrogen Estimation by Kjeldahl method and CHNS analyzer in dry tropical grassland», Int. J. Plant Environ., vol. 9, no 02, p. 180182, 2023.
[17]	Q. Wang, S. Li, J. Li, et D. Huang, «The Utilization and Roles of Nitrogen in Plants», Forests, vol. 15, no 7, p. 1191, juill. 2024.
[18]	V. L. Pinheiro et al., «Structural Traits, Production, Biomass Allocation, and Changes in Leaf Investment in Megathyrsus maximus cv. MG12 Paredão Under Nitrogen Fertilization and Cutting Intervals», Nitrogen, vol. 6, no 1, p. 12, mars 2025.
[19]	D. Gil-Villar et al., «La variation des réponses à la limitation de l’azote chez Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme et S. pimpinellifolium ainsi qu’en hybrides révèle un potentiel génétique pour améliorer l’efficacité de l’utilisation de l’azote (NUE) dans la sélection de tomates», Plant Physiol. Biochem., vol. 229, p. 110428, déc. 2025.
[20]	R. M. Ahmad et al., «Optimizing Biogas Production and Digestive Stability through Waste Co-Digestion», Sustainability, vol. 16, no 7, p. 3045, janv. 2024.
[21]	F. A. Azis, M. Choo, H. Suhaimi, et P. E. Abas, «The Effect of Initial Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio on Kitchen Waste Composting Maturity», Sustainability, vol. 15, no 7, p. 6191, janv. 2023.
[22]	S. Manzoni et M. F. Cotrufo, «Mechanisms of soil organic carbon and nitrogen stabilization in mineral-associated organic matter – insights from modeling in phase space», Biogeosciences, vol. 21, no 18, p. 40774098, sept. 2024.
[23]	N. A. Khan et al., «C/N ratio effect on oily wastewater treatment using column type SBR: machine learning prediction and metagenomics study», Sci. Rep., vol. 14, p. 22950, oct. 2024.
[24]	M. R. Islam, Q. Wang, Y. Guo, W. Wang, S. Sharmin, et C. Ebere Enyoh, «Physico-Chemical Characterization of Food Wastes for Potential Soil Application», Processes, vol. 11, no 1, p. 250, janv. 2023.
[25]	J. Schultz, M. Scherzinger, A. Y. Elbanhawy, et M. Kaltschmitt, «Long-Term Continuous Anaerobic Co-digestion of Residual Biomass—Model Validation and Model-Based Investigation of Different Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios», BioEnergy Res., vol. 18, no 1, p. 58, juin 2025.
[26]	H. Zhong, L. Dong, Y. Tang, L. Qi, et M. Wang, «The C/N Ratio’s Effect on a Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR): COD and Nitrogen Removal, Biofilm Characteristics, and Microbial Community Structure», Water, vol. 15, no 24, p. 4298, janv. 2023.
[27]	S. Yadav et D. Singh, «Assessment of biochar developed via torrefaction of food waste as feedstock for steam gasification to produce hydrogen rich gas», Carbon Res., vol. 2, no 1, p. 34, sept. 2023.
[28]	N. J. Barrow et A. E. Hartemink, «The effects of pH on nutrient availability depend on both soils and plants», Plant Soil, vol. 487, no 1, p. 2137, juin 2023.
[29]	X. Zhou, T. Tahvanainen, L. Malard, L. Chen, J. Pérez-Pérez, et F. Berninger, «Global analysis of soil bacterial genera and diversity in response to pH», Soil Biol. Biochem., vol. 198, p. 109552, nov. 2024.
[30]	T. Rahmani, A. Rahimi, et S. Nojavan, «Study on electrical current variations in electromembrane extraction process: Relation between extraction recovery and magnitude of electrical current», Anal. Chim. Acta, vol. 903, p. 8190, janv. 2016.
[31]	E. I. Chereches et A. A. Minea, «Experiments on the Electrical Conductivity of PEG 400 Nanocolloids Enhanced with Two Oxide Nanoparticles», Nanomaterials, vol. 13, no 9, p. 1555, janv. 2023.
[32]	Z. Lv, X. Ran, J. Liu, Y. Feng, X. Zhong, et N. Jiao, «Effectiveness of Chemical Oxygen Demand as an Indicator of Organic Pollution in Aquatic Environments», Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Res., vol. 3, p. 0050, juin 2024.
[33]	J. A. Korak et G. McKay, «Meta-Analysis of Optical Surrogates for the Characterization of Dissolved Organic Matter», Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 58, no 17, p. 73807392, avr. 2024.
[34]	M. S. Begum, J.-H. Park, L. Yang, K. H. Shin, et J. Hur, «Optical and molecular indices of dissolved organic matter for estimating biodegradability and resulting carbon dioxide production in inland waters: A review», Water Res., vol. 228, p. 119362, janv. 2023.
[35]	X. Guo et al., «Characterization of dissolved organic matter from biogas residue composting using spectroscopic techniques», Waste Manag., vol. 78, p. 301309, août 2018.
[36]	O. Baziz, F. Beline, et P. Durand, «Impacts on water quality of producing biogas on pig farms as a function of the associated agricultural practices», Environ. Res. Commun., vol. 6, no 7, p. 075021, juill. 2024.
[37]	A. S. Obeng, J. Dunne, M. Giltrap, et F. Tian, «Soil organic matter carbon chemistry signatures, hydrophobicity and humification index following land use change in temperate peat soils», Heliyon, vol. 9, no 9, sept. 2023.
[38]	D.-G. Rudaru, I. E. Lucaciu, et A. M. Fulgheci, «Correlation between BOD5 and COD–biodegradability indicator of wastewater», Romanian J. Ecol. Environ. Chem., vol. 4, no 2, p. 8086, 2022.
[39]	K. Mizerna et A. Król, «The importance of time and other determinants in the assessment of heavy metals release during solid waste management», Sci. Rep., vol. 13, no 1, p. 1651, janv. 2023.
[40]	M. A. Bhat et al., «Soil and Mineral Nutrients in Plant Health: A Prospective Study of Iron and Phosphorus in the Growth and Development of Plants», Curr. Issues Mol. Biol., vol. 46, no 6, p. 51945222, juin 2024.
[41]	B. Xie et al., «Comparative physiological, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses reveal mechanisms of apple dwarfing rootstock root morphogenesis under nitrogen and/or phosphorus deficient conditions», Front. Plant Sci., vol. 14, juin 2023.
[42]	F. Solangi et al., «The Global Dilemma of Soil Legacy Phosphorus and Its Improvement Strategies under Recent Changes in Agro-Ecosystem Sustainability», ACS Omega, vol. 8, no 26, p. 2327123282, juill. 2023.
[43]	L. Zhang, L. Chang, H. Liu, M. de Jesús Puy Alquiza, et Y. Li, «Biochar application to soils can regulate soil phosphorus availability: a review», Biochar, vol. 7, no 1, p. 13, janv. 2025.
[44]	L. A. Labib, S. Ahmed, M. A. Malek, et Md. F. Hasan, «Agrowaste-Derived Liquid Organic Fertilizer and Temperature Stabilization in Vertical Aeroponics for Crop Production», Plant-Environ. Interact., vol. 7, no 3, 2026.
[45]	S. Thapa et al., «Managing Micronutrients for Improving Soil Fertility, Health, and Soybean Yield», Sustainability, vol. 13, no 21, p. 11766, janv. 2021.
[46]	S. Prusty, R. K. Sahoo, S. Nayak, S. Poosapati, et D. M. Swain, «Proteomic and Genomic Studies of Micronutrient Deficiency and Toxicity in Plants», Plants, vol. 11, no 18, p. 2424, janv. 2022.
[47]	K. Weimers, K.-J. Bergstrand, M. Hultberg, et H. Asp, «Liquid Anaerobic Digestate as Sole Nutrient Source in Soilless Horticulture—Or Spiked With Mineral Nutrients for Improved Plant Growth», Front. Plant Sci., vol. 13, mars 2022.
[48]	D. Skrzypczak et al., «Recent innovations in fertilization with treated digestate from food waste to recover nutrients for arid agricultural fields», Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., vol. 31, no 29, p. 4156341585, juin 2024.