Study of the Possibility of Using the Bottom Organomineral Accumulations of the Lakes of the North Kazakhstan Region to Obtain Innovative Fertilizers for the Development of Organic Farming and Agrotourism

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Author(s),

In this article, the author(s) investigated the availability of sapropels of the bottom sediments of lakes in the Kazakhstan region as innovative fertilizers in organic farming. As a result of the study, they determined that sapropels are natural, environmentally friendly and can be used in the growing of products that are safe for consumers. The paper is well written, has current and important data, and should be of great interest to the readers. The introduction and others sections provide useful information for the readers. The paper has a potential to be accepted, but some major points have to be clarified or fixed before we can proceed and a positive action can be taken.

 

I here summarize this points:

1- Which chemical and chemical-analytical analyzes are performed should be stated in the abstract.

2- The materials and methods section was difficult to understand. The matrix + the parameter analyzed + the applied method information should be written clearly and in separate paragraphs for each parameter.

3- It is not described how fertilizer in an innovative liquid form is produced from the selected sapropele.

4- Line 262: Latin species names (Scirpusla custris, Lemna trisulca, etc.) should be written in italics in the entire text in accordance with scientific species writing rules.

5- A northward marker can be placed at a suitable location for satellite images in Figure 3-5.

6- The results of the analyzes (electrical conductivity, pH, trace elements) and the statistical methods used to make the data meaningful are not given in the article.

 

The content of the article in accordance with the aims of the Sustainability.

The article is scientifically sufficient.

Keywords are well chosen so that the article can be found by indexes.

The literature has been adequately critical, current and internationally evaluated by the authors.

The language of the article is correct and clear.

The materials and methods part is not clear.

Incomplete data is given in the results section.

The discussion part is quite comprehensive in the paper.

Tables and figures are well designed and necessary.

Major revision

Author Response

Point 1- Which chemical and chemical-analytical analyzes are performed should be stated in the abstract.

Response 1: According to your comment, additions have been made to the text

Point 2- The materials and methods section was difficult to understand. The matrix + the parameter analyzed + the applied method information should be written clearly and in separate paragraphs for each parameter.

Response 2: According to your comment, additions have been made to the text

Point 3- It is not described how fertilizer in an innovative liquid form is produced from the selected sapropele.

Response 3: The method of production of the liquid form is at the stage of the patenting process. In this connection, it cannot be presented in an expanded form

Point 4- Line 262: Latin species names (Scirpusla custris, Lemna trisulca, etc.) should be written in italics in the entire text in accordance with scientific species writing rules.

Response 4: According to your comment, changes have been made to the text

Point 5- A northward marker can be placed at a suitable location for satellite images in Figure 3-5.

Response 5: According to your comment, changes have been made to the text

Point 6- The results of the analyzes (electrical conductivity, pH, trace elements) and the statistical methods used to make the data meaningful are not given in the article.

Response 6: The results of chemical research will be widely covered in another scientific article being prepared, in a journal on the chemical direction

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear authors,

After carrying out the review of the article entitled “Study of the possibility of using bottom organomineral accumulations of lakes of the North Kazakhstan region to obtain innovative fertilizers for the development of organic farming and agrotourism”, proposed for possible publication in Sustainability Journal would like to express that from my perspective the work is interesting, and the topic is relevant from the environmental and sustainable points of view. However, I believe that some aspects should be considered and corrected before the work could be accepted. Next, I list some suggestions for improvement and details that I observed in it:

 
·       In the abstract line 20 and in the rest of the document, do not use abbreviations if the meaning is not indicated at least once. Eg GIS (Geographic Information System), Line 503 SWOT.

·    Write the chemical formulas and the charges of the ions correctly throughout the entire document, that is, placing the subscripts or superscripts as appropriate. Example, lines 113-116.

·   Line 120 the word suspensions is repeated, please delete it.

·   Change the font inside figure 1 so that it is homogeneous with the one presented in the text.

·   Line 188 indicate the brand of the photocolorimeter.

·   Lines 190-191 change ICP-NPP by ICP-AES.

· Lines 188-193 the authors mention “The quantitative content of trace elements in the extracts after acid decomposition of the soil solution was determined using the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-NPP) method, the electrical conductivity and pH of the aqueous extract medium were determined. The photocolorimetric method and the atomic emission spectrometry method are used to determine the quantitative content of trace elements in samples”.

Why was the quantitative determination of trace elements carried out using different analytical techniques in the extracts and in the samples?


In addition, the authors must indicate the references considered.

·    The methodological aspects related to the different measurements carried out must be explained in greater detail.

·   If models and/or brands of the equipment used are to be mentioned, the wording must be uniform in all cases.

·   In the methodological section, it is not clear how the authors will evaluate the feasibility of developing a biofertilizer based on organic soils. Therefore, they must describe something about it.

· Lines 216-217 place the degree symbol to the C of centigrade.

· Line 244 indicate only the last names of the authors.

· The first part of the results appears to be a more detailed description of the lakes where samples were taken for analysis, so these descriptions must be justified because they are developed in the results section and not in the methodological part in the study area section.

· The results of the measured variables (pH, trace elements, etc.) should be shown in a table as a summary by lake and sampled sites.

· The authors speak of quantitative comparison, but in results they are limited to comparing values of certain variables, for example, pH, it is not valid to do this in a descriptive way without statistical support, it is suggested to rely on statistical analysis so that the comparisons made are valid.

· Lines 374-376 the authors affirm that the maximum permitted limits of some metals were not exceeded, but they do not indicate according to which regulations or if it is national or international, the authors must indicate with which regulations the permissibility is being compared.

· Change the font inside figure 6 so that it is homogeneous with the one presented in the text.

· The discussion needs to be improved, rather than discussion, it seems an extension of the presentation of information historically observed in the study area that, although it can be mentioned, does not need to be presented in figures and tables since it is not the objective of the study. It would be interesting for the authors to compare with some other studies where they use this type of soil as a source of organic fertilizer generation, as well as what advantages they present with respect to others on the market internationally.

·   The authors could also address the aspect related to the preparation of organic fertilizers from the type of soil evaluated.

· The Opportunities on table 6 need to be improved.

·   Line 552 conclusions is repeated.

· References should not be included in the conclusions since the conclusions are supposed to be the result of the research carried out and not of what has been done by other authors.

·   The authors must standardize the format of the references, in some they abbreviate the name of the journals and in others they do not.

Once the suggestions have been addressed, the work can be considered for publication.
 
Kind regards.

Although the manuscript presents good English writing, some grammatical and typographical errors should be checked.

Author Response

 Point 1:   In the abstract line 20 and in the rest of the document, do not use abbreviations if the meaning is not indicated at least once. Eg GIS (Geographic Information System), Line 503 SWOT.
Write the chemical formulas and the charges of the ions correctly throughout the entire document, that is, placing the subscripts or superscripts as appropriate. Example, lines 113-116.
·   Line 120 the word suspensions is repeated, please delete it.
·   Change the font inside figure 1 so that it is homogeneous with the one presented in the text.
·   Line 188 indicate the brand of the photocolorimeter.
·   Lines 190-191 change ICP-NPP by ICP-AES.
· Lines 188-193 the authors mention “The quantitative content of trace elements in the extracts after acid decomposition of the soil solution was determined using the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-NPP) method, the electrical conductivity and pH of the aqueous extract medium were determined. The photocolorimetric method and the atomic emission spectrometry method are used to determine the quantitative content of trace elements in samples”.

Response 1: According to these remarks, corrections have been made to the text of the article

Point 2: Why was the quantitative determination of trace elements carried out using different analytical techniques in the extracts and in the samples?
Response 2: According to the regulatory and legal technical documentation, appropriate methods of analysis and sample preparation are used to determine the normalized soil index

Point 3: In addition, the authors must indicate the references considered.
·    The methodological aspects related to the different measurements carried out must be explained in greater detail.
·   If models and/or brands of the equipment used are to be mentioned, the wording must be uniform in all cases.
·   In the methodological section, it is not clear how the authors will evaluate the feasibility of developing a biofertilizer based on organic soils. Therefore, they must describe something about it.
Response 3: In accordance with these remarks, the text of the article has been edited

Point 4: · Lines 216-217 place the degree symbol to the C of centigrade.
· Line 244 indicate only the last names of the authors.
· The first part of the results appears to be a more detailed description of the lakes where samples were taken for analysis, so these descriptions must be justified because they are developed in the results section and not in the methodological part in the study area section.
Response 4: In accordance with these remarks, the text of the article has been edited
Point 5: · The results of the measured variables (pH, trace elements, etc.) should be shown in a table as a summary by lake and sampled sites.
· The authors speak of quantitative comparison, but in results they are limited to comparing values of certain variables, for example, pH, it is not valid to do this in a descriptive way without statistical support, it is suggested to rely on statistical analysis so that the comparisons made are valid.
Response 5: The results of chemical research will be widely covered in another scientific article being prepared, in a journal on the chemical direction

Point 6: · Lines 374-376 the authors affirm that the maximum permitted limits of some metals were not exceeded, but they do not indicate according to which regulations or if it is national or international, the authors must indicate with which regulations the permissibility is being compared.
Response 6: In response to this remark, we explain that state standards have been used to analyze the maximum permissible standards for the content of chemicals.
Point 7:· Change the font inside figure 6 so that it is homogeneous with the one presented in the text.
· The discussion needs to be improved, rather than discussion, it seems an extension of the presentation of information historically observed in the study area that, although it can be mentioned, does not need to be presented in figures and tables since it is not the objective of the study. It would be interesting for the authors to compare with some other studies where they use this type of soil as a source of organic fertilizer generation, as well as what advantages they present with respect to others on the market internationally.
Response 7: In accordance with these remarks, the text of the article has been edited
Point 8:··   The authors could also address the aspect related to the preparation of organic fertilizers from the type of soil evaluated.
Response 8: This remark is taken into account. The results of chemical research will be widely covered in another scientific article being prepared, in a journal on the chemical direction
Point 9:··· The Opportunities on table 6 need to be improved.
·   Line 552 conclusions is repeated.
Response 9: In accordance with these remarks, the text of the article has been edited
Point 10:· References should not be included in the conclusions since the conclusions are supposed to be the result of the research carried out and not of what has been done by other authors.
Response 10: This references is the site of an ongoing project on the topic of research with the participation of all the authors of this article

Point 11:··   The authors must standardize the format of the references, in some they abbreviate the name of the journals and in others they do not.
Response 11: In accordance with these remarks, the text of the article has been edited

Reviewer 3 Report

This is an interesting work associated with Study of the possibility of using bottom organomineral accumulations of lakes of the North Kazakhstan region to obtain innovative fertilizers for the development of organic farming and Agrotourism. The manuscript was well organized and I suggested a major revision:

1.Abstract should be improved for highlighting the novelty of this work.

2.In lines 62-63, the authors mentioned that the unbalanced use of mineral fertilizers leads to environmental problems, such as soil degradation, pollution of surface and groundwater. What are other possible reasons for these phenomena? The reference (J. Hazard. Mater. 432 (2022) 127043) may be helpful and suggested to be cited.

3.The authors wrote too many paragraphs in the introduction, which made the writing too scattered. Therefore, this part is suggested to be improved.

4.In lines 341-342, the authors mentioned that sapropel humic substances have adhesive properties and bind mineral particles of the soil, which significantly improves the soil structure. More ways to improve soil structure should be introduced, and the reference (J. Hazard. Mater. 425 (2022) 127876) may be helpful and suggested to be cited.

5.In lines 122-123, the authors mentioned that many chemical components and compounds affect the composition of bottom sediments, these are biogenic elements - compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, iron. What exactly are these compounds?

6.In lines 374-375, the authors mentioned that in the studied lakes, according to the data on the Maximum permissible concentrations of chemicals in the soil, no excess was found for all harmful substances, namely cobalt, chromium, lead, mercury, arsenic. However, the relevant introduction of heavy metals present in soil should be mentioned, and the reference (Chem. Eng. J. 461 (2023) 142079) may be helpful and suggested to be cited.

7.Please carefully check the manuscript for grammatical and spelling errors.

8.In lines 328-329, the authors mentioned that the content of organic matter (12.1%) in the sapropel of Lake Gusinoe (Maloe) was relatively low. However, what are the specific types of organic matter, and what are the adverse effects on the environment? The reference (J. Clean. Prod. 385 (2023) 135683) may be helpful and suggested to be cited.

Author Response

Point 1. Abstract should be improved for highlighting the novelty of this work.

Response 1: In accordance with these remarks, the text of the article has been edited

Point 2. In lines 62-63, the authors mentioned that the unbalanced use of mineral fertilizers leads to environmental problems, such as soil degradation, pollution of surface and groundwater. What are other possible reasons for these phenomena? The reference (J. Hazard. Mater. 432 (2022) 127043) may be helpful and suggested to be cited.

Response 2: In accordance with these remarks, a link to the source was added to the text of the article

Point 3. The authors wrote too many paragraphs in the introduction, which made the writing too scattered. Therefore, this part is suggested to be improved.

Response 3: In accordance with these remarks, the text of the article has been edited

Point 4. In lines 341-342, the authors mentioned that sapropel humic substances have adhesive properties and bind mineral particles of the soil, which significantly improves the soil structure. More ways to improve soil structure should be introduced, and the reference (J. Hazard. Mater. 425 (2022) 127876) may be helpful and suggested to be cited.

Response 4: In accordance with these remarks, a link to the source was added to the text of the article

Point 5. In lines 122-123, the authors mentioned that many chemical components and compounds affect the composition of bottom sediments, these are biogenic elements - compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, iron. What exactly are these compounds?

Response 5: The results of chemical research will be widely covered in another scientific article being prepared, in a journal on the chemical direction

Point 6. In lines 374-375, the authors mentioned that in the studied lakes, according to the data on the Maximum permissible concentrations of chemicals in the soil, no excess was found for all harmful substances, namely cobalt, chromium, lead, mercury, arsenic. However, the relevant introduction of heavy metals present in soil should be mentioned, and the reference (Chem. Eng. J. 461 (2023) 142079) may be helpful and suggested to be cited.

Response 6: In accordance with these remarks, a link to the source was added to the text of the article

Point 7. Please carefully check the manuscript for grammatical and spelling errors.

Response 7: In accordance with these remarks, the text of the article has been edited

Point 8. In lines 328-329, the authors mentioned that the content of organic matter (12.1%) in the sapropel of Lake Gusinoe (Maloe) was relatively low. However, what are the specific types of organic matter, and what are the adverse effects on the environment? The reference (J. Clean. Prod. 385 (2023) 135683) may be helpful and suggested to be cited.

Response 8: The results of chemical research will be widely covered in another scientific article being prepared, in a journal on the chemical direction

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 4 Report

have read carefully the manuscript and think that this is an exciting work and can be considered for publications but required minor revisions before reviewing further.

Improve the conclusion to deliver more qualitative information.

Provide more literature on the effects of sapropel for the production of innovative fertilizers, and sapropels usage. To the better representation of introduction, go through some recently published papers and improve: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-022-02796-4 and https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-022-05743-1

Also, in order to fully explain the chemical elements are required in introduction section as several technological proces. To the better representation of sustainability of agroecosystems results, go through some recently published papers and improve: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083453 and https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-022-02558-2

The references given above will be useful to you.

Units in all sections should be uniform, significant figures and tables should be uniform.

If the authors can address above issues in the manuscript then it can be reconsidered for the press, in my opinion.

Authors proposed a methodology for tool wear monitoring using autoencoders. After carefully examine the submitted manuscript,there are several modifications required in manuscript based on below mentioned comments.

Authors specific contribution as compared to published literature is not addressed properly.Kindly address.

It is always recommended to apply signal processing techniques such as wavelet so that useful information is extracted and noise can be minimized.In submitted manuscript,authors directly utilized measured signals without pre-processing.Kindly refer following journals and add in manuscript with suitable description.

The section of discussion was like the introduction. The author should focus his analysis on the experiment result rather than other irrelevant things.

Line 553: 6. Conclusion and conclusions ????

Some sentences are not clear, long, and hard to follow. Please make sure to re-write, separate, and correct them. There are some punctuation problems and incorrect term usage. Some required changes are shown below, but make sure to check the whole manuscript and correct them all.

Please chechk all tables and figures number and titles

Author Response

Point 1: Improve the conclusion to deliver more qualitative information.

Response 1: In accordance with these comments, the text of the article has been edited

Point 2: Provide more literature on the effects of sapropel for the production of innovative fertilizers, and sapropels usage. To the better representation of introduction, go through some recently published papers and improve: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-022-02796-4 and https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-022-05743-1

Response 2: Thank you for providing links to scientific articles. In the future, we will definitely use them when preparing a scientific article in a journal in the chemical field

Point 3: Also, in order to fully explain the chemical elements are required in introduction section as several technological proces. To the better representation of sustainability of agroecosystems results, go through some recently published papers and improve: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083453 and https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-022-02558-2

The references given above will be useful to you.

Response 3: Thank you for providing links to scientific articles. In the future, we will definitely use them when preparing a scientific article in a journal in the chemical field

Point 4: Units in all sections should be uniform, significant figures and tables should be uniform.

If the authors can address above issues in the manuscript then it can be reconsidered for the press, in my opinion.

Authors proposed a methodology for tool wear monitoring using autoencoders. After carefully examine the submitted manuscript,there are several modifications required in manuscript based on below mentioned comments.

Authors specific contribution as compared to published literature is not addressed properly.Kindly address.

It is always recommended to apply signal processing techniques such as wavelet so that useful information is extracted and noise can be minimized.In submitted manuscript,authors directly utilized measured signals without pre-processing.Kindly refer following journals and add in manuscript with suitable description.

The section of discussion was like the introduction. The author should focus his analysis on the experiment result rather than other irrelevant things.

Line 553: 6. Conclusion and conclusions ????

Response 4: In accordance with these comments, the text of the article has been edited

Point 5: Some sentences are not clear, long, and hard to follow. Please make sure to re-write, separate, and correct them. There are some punctuation problems and incorrect term usage. Some required changes are shown below, but make sure to check the whole manuscript and correct them all.

Please chechk all tables and figures number and titles

Response 5: In accordance with these comments, the text of the article has been edited

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 5 Report

Journal: Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050)

Manuscript ID: Sustainability-2369613

Type: Article

Title: Study of the possibility of using bottom organomineral accumulations of lakes of the North Kazakhstan region to obtain innovative fertilizers for the development of organic farming and agrotourism.

Authors: Pavel Dmitriyev * , Ivan Fomin * , Saltanat Makanovna Ismagulova , Zharas Galimzhanovich Berdenov , Ivan Alexandrovich Zuban , Kirill Alexandrovich Ostrovnoy , Irina Viktorovna Golodova.  

 

a)           Why the author didn’t measure the pollution factors for the Lakes?

b)          Please, refer to these refs.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-017-2193-8

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.09.084

Best Regards

Author Response

Point 1: Why the author didn’t measure the pollution factors for the Lakes?

Response 1: The lakes under study are natural reservoirs and are not located in the vicinity of industrial enterprises. In addition, the results of studies of bottom sediments did not reveal excess concentrations of chemicals.

Point 2: Please, refer to these refs.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-017-2193-8

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.09.084

Response 2: References to literary sources are taken into account. Source : DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-017-2193-8 quoted

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear  Editor,

In this article, the author(s) investigated the availability of sapropels of the bottom sediments of lakes in the Kazakhstan region as innovative fertilizers in organic farming. As a result of the study, they determined that sapropels are natural, environmentally friendly and can be used in the growing of products that are safe for consumers. Researchers determined the situation under 4 headings (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) by SWOT analysis. The paper is well written, has current and important data, and should be of great interest to the readers. The introduction and others sections provide useful information for the readers. The paper has a potential to be accepted, but some critical points have to be clarified or fixed before we can proceed and a positive action can be taken.

I here summarize this points:

1- What chemical and chemical-analytical analyzes were carried out was partially written in the abstract. (XX method for potassium detection in sapropel samples, YY method for trace element detection etc.)

2- Line 184: Briefly describe the GOST ISO 22036-2014 method used for the decomposition of sapropel samples (initial volume/weight, acids used, degree of temperature applied in dissolution, duration, final volume, etc.).

3- Line 190: Briefly describe the method of GOST 26210-91, which is used to determine the concentration of potassium.

4- The outstanding plus features of the innovative fertilizer obtained should be stated in detail in the conclusion section.

The content of the article in accordance with the aims of the Sustainability.

The article is scientifically sufficient.

Keywords are well chosen so that the article can be found by indexes.

The literature has been adequately critical, current and internationally evaluated by the authors.

The language of the article is correct and clear.

The materials and methods part is clear.

The discussion part is quite comprehensive in the paper.

Tables and figures are well designed and necessary.

Minor revision

Author Response

Point 1- What chemical and chemical-analytical analyzes were carried out was partially written in the abstract. (XX method for potassium detection in sapropel samples, YY method for trace element detection etc.)

Response 1: According to this summary, the revision of pages 202-228 was carried out

Point 2- Line 184: Briefly describe the GOST ISO 22036-2014 method used for the decomposition of sapropel samples (initial volume/weight, acids used, degree of temperature applied in dissolution, duration, final volume, etc.).

Response 2: According to this summary, the revision of pages 205-228 was carried out

Point 3- Line 190: Briefly describe the method of GOST 26210-91, which is used to determine the concentration of potassium.

Response 3: According to this summary, the revision of pages 205-228 was carried out

Point 4- The outstanding plus features of the innovative fertilizer obtained should be stated in detail in the conclusion section.

Response 4: According to this summary, the revision of page 601-614 was carried out

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear authors,

After carrying out the review of the article entitled “Study of the possibility of using bottom organomineral accumulations of lakes of the North Kazakhstan region to obtain innovative fertilizers for the development of organic farming and agrotourism”, proposed for possible publication in Sustainability Journal would like to express that from my perspective the work is interesting, and the topic is relevant from the environmental and sustainable points of view. However, I believe that some aspects should be considered and corrected before the work could be accepted. Next, I list some suggestions for improvement and details that I observed in it:

 

·        The font inside the figures must be consistent with the one used in the rest of the document.

·        The first part of the results appears to be a more detailed description of the lakes where samples were taken for analysis, so these descriptions must be justified because they are developed in the results section and not in the methodological part in the study area section.

·        The authors speak of quantitative comparison, but in results, they are limited to comparing values of certain variables, for example, pH, it is not valid to do this in a descriptive way without statistical support, it is suggested to rely on statistical analysis so that the comparisons made are valid.

Although the authors argue that these data will be developed in a new manuscript, this is not a justification for making comparisons without indicating statistical tests performed, it could be said that they exist by indicating the level of significance and declaring data not shown.

·        The discussion needs to be improved, rather than discussion, it seems an extension of the presentation of information historically observed in the study area that, although it can be mentioned, does not need to be presented in figures and tables since it is not the objective of the study. It would be interesting for the authors to compare with some other studies where they use this type of soil as a source of organic fertilizer generation, as well as what advantages they present with respect to others on the market internationally. In addition, the authors must indicate the references considered.

·        The authors must standardize the format of the references, in some they abbreviate the name of the journals, and in others, they do not (e.g. Reference 8).

Once the suggestions have been addressed, the work can be considered for publication.

 

 

Kind regards.

Although the manuscript presents good English writing, some grammatical and typographical errors should be checked.

Author Response

Point 1: The font inside the figures must be consistent with the one used in the rest of the document.

Response 1: The licensed computer program for creating maps used in the Republic of Kazakhstan does not support the "Palatino Linotype" font

Point 2:       The first part of the results appears to be a more detailed description of the lakes where samples were taken for analysis, so these descriptions must be justified because they are developed in the results section and not in the methodological part in the study area section.

Response 2: Thank you for your interest in our article. We explain to your resume: descriptions of the choice of lakes are justified in line 255-258. The results section describes the features of the formation of bottom sediments of the selected lakes and a comparative analysis of their composition .

Point 3:       The authors speak of quantitative comparison, but in results, they are limited to comparing values of certain variables, for example, pH, it is not valid to do this in a descriptive way without statistical support, it is suggested to rely on statistical analysis so that the comparisons made are valid. Although the authors argue that these data will be developed in a new manuscript, this is not a justification for making comparisons without indicating statistical tests performed, it could be said that they exist by indicating the level of significance and declaring data not shown.

Response 3: A comparative analysis of sapropel quality indicators is presented in Section 4.2. of the article. The values of the most significant indicators for describing the composition of bottom sediments are given. The results of the study of lake bottom sediments were obtained experimentally by chemical analytical methods, the methods are described in section 2 "Materials and Methods". The purpose of this article was to study the possibility of using bottom sediments for organic farming. We have not analyzed the resource potential and the dynamics of the qualitative composition of bottom sediments, for which the use of statistical analysis is necessary.

Point 4: ·        The discussion needs to be improved, rather than discussion, it seems an extension of the presentation of information historically observed in the study area that, although it can be mentioned, does not need to be presented in figures and tables since it is not the objective of the study. It would be interesting for the authors to compare with some other studies where they use this type of soil as a source of organic fertilizer generation, as well as what advantages they present with respect to others on the market internationally. In addition, the authors must indicate the references considered.

Response 4: The discussion on this summary has been improved (line 175-184). In addition, the advantages of using sapropels and the features of the resulting innovative fertilizer have been added (line 601-614)

Point 5:         The authors must standardize the format of the references, in some they abbreviate the name of the journals, and in others, they do not (e.g. Reference 8).

Response 5: The format of links to journals and other sources is standardized (line 643-863)

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors have answered my questions and responded to my comments, and the manuscript has been improved. I recommend the publication of the manuscript in its present form.

Author Response

Thank you for your attention to our article

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 3

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear authors,

After carrying out the review of the article entitled “Study of the possibility of using bottom organomineral accumulations of lakes of the North Kazakhstan region to obtain innovative fertilizers for the development of organic farming and agrotourism”, proposed for possible publication in Sustainability Journal would like to express that from my perspective the work is interesting, and the topic is relevant from the environmental and sustainable points of view. However, I believe that some aspects should be considered and corrected before the work could be accepted. Next, I list some suggestions for improvement and details that I observed in it:

 

·        The font inside the figures must be consistent with the one used in the rest of the document.

·        The first part of the results appears to be a more detailed description of the lakes where samples were taken for analysis, so these descriptions must be justified because they are developed in the results section and not in the methodological part in the study area section.

·        The authors speak of quantitative comparison, but in results, they are limited to comparing values of certain variables, for example, pH, it is not valid to do this in a descriptive way without statistical support, it is suggested to rely on statistical analysis so that the comparisons made are valid.

Although the authors argue that these data will be developed in a new manuscript, this is not a justification for making comparisons without indicating statistical tests performed, it could be said that they exist by indicating the level of significance and declaring data not shown.

·        The discussion needs to be improved, rather than discussion, it seems an extension of the presentation of information historically observed in the study area that, although it can be mentioned, does not need to be presented in figures and tables since it is not the objective of the study. It would be interesting for the authors to compare with some other studies where they use this type of soil as a source of organic fertilizer generation, as well as what advantages they present with respect to others on the market internationally. In addition, the authors must indicate the references considered.

·        The authors must standardize the format of the references, in some they abbreviate the name of the journals, and in others, they do not (e.g. Reference 8).

Once the suggestions have been addressed, the work can be considered for publication.

 

 

Kind regards.

Although the manuscript presents good English writing, some grammatical and typographical errors should be checked.

Author Response

Point 1: The font inside the figures must be consistent with the one used in the rest of the document.

Response 1: The licensed computer program for creating maps used in the Republic of Kazakhstan does not support the "Palatino Linotype" font

Point 2:       The first part of the results appears to be a more detailed description of the lakes where samples were taken for analysis, so these descriptions must be justified because they are developed in the results section and not in the methodological part in the study area section.

Response 2: Thank you for your interest in our article. We explain to your resume: descriptions of the choice of lakes are justified in line 255-258. The results section describes the features of the formation of bottom sediments of the selected lakes and a comparative analysis of their composition .

Point 3:       The authors speak of quantitative comparison, but in results, they are limited to comparing values of certain variables, for example, pH, it is not valid to do this in a descriptive way without statistical support, it is suggested to rely on statistical analysis so that the comparisons made are valid. Although the authors argue that these data will be developed in a new manuscript, this is not a justification for making comparisons without indicating statistical tests performed, it could be said that they exist by indicating the level of significance and declaring data not shown.

Response 3: A comparative analysis of sapropel quality indicators is presented in Section 4.2. of the article. The values of the most significant indicators for describing the composition of bottom sediments are given. The results of the study of lake bottom sediments were obtained experimentally by chemical analytical methods, the methods are described in section 2 "Materials and Methods". The purpose of this article was to study the possibility of using bottom sediments for organic farming. We have not analyzed the resource potential and the dynamics of the qualitative composition of bottom sediments, for which the use of statistical analysis is necessary.

Point 4: ·        The discussion needs to be improved, rather than discussion, it seems an extension of the presentation of information historically observed in the study area that, although it can be mentioned, does not need to be presented in figures and tables since it is not the objective of the study. It would be interesting for the authors to compare with some other studies where they use this type of soil as a source of organic fertilizer generation, as well as what advantages they present with respect to others on the market internationally. In addition, the authors must indicate the references considered.

Response 4: The discussion on this summary has been improved (line 175-184). In addition, the advantages of using sapropels and the features of the resulting innovative fertilizer have been added (line 601-614)

Point 5:         The authors must standardize the format of the references, in some they abbreviate the name of the journals, and in others, they do not (e.g. Reference 8).

Response 5: The format of links to journals and other sources is standardized (line 643-863)

Round 4

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear authors, thank you for attending to all the comments and suggestions provided by a server.

 

I consider that the work has improved substantially and can now be considered for publication.

 

kind regards

An English language review by a native speaker or editorial production is recommended.