The treatment of leachate using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae: Adaptability and resource recovery testing

Abstract The benefits of using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae in biowaste treatment include: commercial value of the stabilized residue, production of biomass rich in fats and proteins, suitable both for biodiesel production and animal feeding. The use of BSF for leachate treatment would introduce a blue low cost solution in the landfill technology, particularly appropriate in developing countries, where landfilling is still widely applied. This paper aimed to investigate the adaptability of BSF larvae to leachate environment, by using different leachate concentrations (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) and two different feeding substrates: liquid (pure leachate) and semi-solid (wheat bran mixed with leachate). In all tests mortality was less than 50% and it was mainly linked to food shortages: the higher the nutrient content in leachate, the higher the larval development. Dry mass characterisation demonstrate that BSF prepupae biomass can be exploited as an alternative energy source in the production of biodiesel.