Recently, a research team led by Dr. Dongqing Cai from the College of Environmental Science and Engineering has made significant progress in the field of marine solid waste—humification and fertilization utilization of Enteromorpha prolifera within one hour. The findings have been published in the international journal Nature Communications (2025)16: 5860. Donghua University is the first corresponding institution for the paper.
In recent years, due to the intensification of marine eutrophication, Enteromorpha prolifera (EP) has frequently bloomed, forming large-scale ‘green tides’ that have severely impacted coastal fisheries, shipping, and water quality. Currently, the primary methods for handling EP include composting and landfilling; however, these approaches suffer from issues such as lengthy cycles, low resource utilization rates, and risks of secondary pollution. How to efficiently, environmentally, and sustainably dispose of and recycle EP has become a critical issue in environmental management.
The research team has developed a novel composting agent that can rapidly decompose EP into humus within one hour at room temperature and pressure, successfully producing humic acid-like fertilizer (OEPF). The key to this technology lies in utilizing free radicals to catalyze the degradation-polymerization reaction of organic compounds such as polysaccharides and proteins in EP, thereby forming high-bioactive humic acid-like substances. Both potted plant and field trials have demonstrated that this fertilizer significantly promotes plant growth and root development. Compared to traditional seaweed compost and mineral-based humic acid fertilizers, this technology offers lower production costs and significant energy-saving and environmental benefits, providing a green, low-cost solution for the efficient recycling and utilization of EP.
(Principles and effects of hourly decomposition technology for Enteromorpha prolifera)
China produces approximately 4 billion tons of livestock manure, 1 billion tons of crop residues, and 12 million tons of kitchen waste annually. The composting of these materials faces three major challenges: a lengthy composting cycle (30–60 days), low fertilizer efficacy (only 1% humic acid and 1–2 tons of organic fertilizer per mu), and incomplete harmless treatment (heavy metal and harmful bacteria removal rates typically below 70%). These issues have become major bottlenecks constraining China's dual carbon goals and rural revitalization strategy. To address this issue, with support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and other projects, the team developed a rapid composting theory based on ‘nano-composting agent-induced high-yield free radical degradation-polymerization’ from scratch. They innovatively developed a one-hour nano-composting agent for organic solid waste, along with self-heating, ultra-high-temperature, and directed humification technologies. They established a heavy metal/ harmful bacteria in situ deep reduction technology system, capable of self-heating materials to over 80°C in 10 minutes and converting them into humic acid-type organic fertilizer within one hour.
Compared to traditional composting, the revolutionary aspects of this technology include: 1) reducing the composting cycle from 30 days to one hour (a 720-fold increase in efficiency); 2) Humic acid content as high as 3-9% (traditional organic fertilizers contain approximately 1%); 3) Deep decontamination: over 98% heavy metal immobilization and complete elimination of harmful bacteria. Additionally, it reduces land and labor requirements by 70% and carbon emissions by over 30%.
The technology has been granted four invention patents and licensed to six entities including Anhui Fengyuan, Weifang Zhunongwang, Zhejiang Jiali, Hebei Mindifu, China Nuclear Tongchuang, and Jingtu (Shenzhen). A 250,000-ton fast-decomposing organic fertilizer production line has been established. The fast-decomposing fertilizer has been promoted across over 500,000 acres, resulting in a 15-50% increase in crop yields compared to traditional organic fertilizers, a reduction in chemical fertilizer usage of over 50%, and generating economic benefits of over 40 million yuan. This achievement has won the Excellence Award at the National Disruptive Technology Grand Final, the Winner Award at the Shanghai “Hai Ju Ying Cai” Grand Final, the Benchmark Award (Top 3) and Best Transaction Award at the Shanghai High-Value Patent Operation Competition, and the Silver Award at the National Challenge Cup. It has also been selected as one of the Top Ten Cases of Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Songjiang District, Shanghai, for 2025. Additionally, it has revealed key mechanisms and been published in Nature Communications (two papers). This technology is expected to transform organic fertilizer production from 'slow, foul, and crude' to 'fast, efficient, and refined,' effectively supporting rural revitalization and the dual carbon goals.
Original link to this article：https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61204-3
