Microbial succession associated with organic matter decomposition during thermophilic composting of organic waste.

Using dog food as a model of the organic waste, thermophilic composting was carried out for 14 days at a fixed temperature of 60 degrees C. The relationship between organic matter decomposition measured by CO2 evolution during the bio-stabilization process and microbial succession expressed as the changes over time in the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns of 16S rDNA sequences, of micro-organisms associated with the composting material was also examined. The CO2 evolution rate peaked on day 3 and gradually decreased until it became extremely small after day 9 of composting, indicating that vigorous organic matter decomposition ceased around this time. On the other hand, the RFLP pattern changed drastically from day 0 to day 4 or 5, then remained stable until day 7 or 8, reaching its final configuration, with little variations, after day 9 of composting. RFLP analysis therefore indicates that microbial succession continued into the later stage of composting. Nevertheless, by day 9, the rate of organic matter decomposition was so low that its influence on microbial populations could be hardly recognized by conventional methods of dilution plating. Moreover, the compost produced by day 9 showed no inhibitory effect on the growth of Komatsuna (Brassica campestris L. var. rapiferafroug), indicating that the maturity of compost is sufficient for plant growth when the rate of organic matter decomposition has become extremely low and the RFLP patterns become stable.     

Sonochemical degradation of aromatic organic pollutants

This work examines the use of ultrasound to mineralize 4-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, [aryl-2H3]2,4-dichlorophenol, 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol, 4-fluorophenol, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene in dilute aqueous solution. Mineralization rates were determined as a function of substrate structure and concentration, bulk phase temperature, pH and the presence of co-solutes such as detergents and humic acids. All substrates were found to degrade sonochemically, as evidenced by the release of Cl- and NO3- respectively. Product analyses by GC-MS, HPLC, and micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) indicated mineralization with little formation of organic byproducts, a significant advantage over other remediation methods. Chloride release from chlorophenols was approximately proportional to substrate total chlorine content, irrespective of structural differences, and reached 80% of the theoretical limit. Fluoride release from 4-fluorophenol was ca. 10-fold lower than that of chloride from 4-chlorophenol. Changes in the bulk phase temperature from 9.5 to 34 degrees C, and 12.5 to 30 degrees C, respectively, were of little consequence to observed mineralization rates for nitroaromatics and chlorophenols. A significant mineralization rate increase resulted from sonication of 4-chlorophenol in acidified media. Additions of amphiphilic co-solutes resulted in modest, but statistically significant, sonolysis enhancements.     

Evolution of organic matter during composting of different organic wastes assessed by CPMAS 13C NMR spectroscopy

In this paper, the evolution of organic matter (OM) during composting of different mixtures of various organic wastes was assessed by means of chemical analyses and CPMAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy measured during composting. The trends of temperatures and C/N ratios supported the correct evolution of the processes. The CPMAS ¹³C NMR spectra of all composting substrates indicated a reduction in carbohydrates and an increase in aromatic, phenolic, carboxylic and carbonylic C which suggested a preference by microorganisms for easily degradable C molecules. The presence of hardly degradable pine needles in one of the substrates accounted for the lowest increase in alkyl C and the lowest reduction in carbohydrates and carboxyl C as opposite to another substrate characterized by the presence of a highly degradable material such as spent yeast from beer production, which showed the highest increase of the alkyl C/O-alkyl C ratio. The highest increase of COOH deriving by the oxidative degradation of cellulose was shown by a substrate composed by about 50% of plant residues. The smallest increases in alkyl C/O-alkyl C ratio and in polysaccharides were associated to the degradation of proteins and lipids which are major components of sewage sludge. Results obtained were related to the different composition of fresh organic substrates and provided evidence of different OM evolution patterns as a function of the initial substrate composition.     

高浓度有机废水处理技术

系统介绍了国内外各种高浓度有机废水物化和生物处理技术的工艺、原理，对其适用条件、优缺点、功效和应用前景进行了分析与探讨，并结合我国高浓度有机废水排放现状，提出了治理技术的研究重点是厌氧生物法。     

Effect of organic compositions of aerobically pretreated municipal solid waste on non-methane organic compound emissions during anaerobic degradation

Odor pollution caused by municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment plants has become a growing public concern. Although aerobic pretreatment of MSW has advantages in accelerating landfill stabilization, the property of non-methane organic compound (NMOC) emissions from aerobically pretreated MSW (APMSW) during landfilling is unknown. To investigate NMOC emissions from anaerobic degradation of APMSW and to study the impact of organic compositions of APMSW and their decomposition stages, five simulative anaerobic bioreactors (R1-R5) were filled up with APMSW of different original organic compositions in a laboratory. For NMOC analysis, samples were collected from the gas that accumulated separately during two successive independent stages of the whole experiment. The results showed that the cumulative quantities of NMOCs from R1 to R5 were 1.11, 0.30, 0.18, 0.28, and 0.31 mg/kg DM, respectively, when volatile solid was degraded by 34.8-47.2%. As the organic content of the original waste was lower, the proportion of NMOCs generated in the early stage of anaerobic degradation became higher. Multiple linear regression analyses of the relationship between the quantities of degraded organics and generated NMOCs showed that lipid and protein have a strong effect on NMOC amount. The effect of lipid on NMOC quantity lasts longer than that of protein. This observation suggests that controlling the lipid and protein contents in MSW can reduce the odor from landfills.     

Solid-phase fluorescence spectroscopy to characterize organic wastes

The production of solid organic waste (SOW) such as sewage sludge (SS) or municipal solid waste (MSW) has been continuously increasing in Europe since the beginning of the 1990'. Today, the European Union encourages the stabilization of these wastes using biologic processes such as anaerobic digestion and/or composting to produce bio-energy and organic fertilizers. However, the design and management of such biologic processes require knowledge about the quantity and quality of the organic matter (OM) contained in the SOW. The current methods to characterize SOW are tedious, time-consuming and often insufficiently informative. In this paper, we assess the potential of solid-phase fluorescence (SPF) spectroscopy to quickly provide a relevant characterization of SOW. First, we tested well known model compounds (tryptophan, bovine serum albumin, lignin and humic acid) and biologic matrix (Escherichia coli) in three dimensional solid-phase fluorescence (3D-SPF) spectroscopy. We recorded fluorescence spectra from proteinaceous samples but we could not record the fluorescence emitted by lignin and humic acid powders. For SOW samples, fluorescence spectra were successfully recorded for MSW and most of its sub-components (foods, cardboard) but impossible for SS, sludge compost (SC) and ligno-cellulosic wastes. Based on visual observations and additional assays, we concluded that the presence of highly light-absorptive chemical structures in such dark-colored samples was responsible for this limitation. For such samples, i.e. lignin, humic acid, SS, SC and ligno-cellulosic wastes, we show that laser induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy enables the acquisition of 2D fluorescence spectra.     

Mobility of organic carbon from incineration residues

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) may affect the transport of pollutants from incineration residues when landfilled or used in geotechnical construction. The leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash and air pollution control residue (APC) from the incineration of waste wood was investigated. Factors affecting the mobility of DOC were studied in a reduced 2(6-1) experimental design. Controlled factors were treatment with ultrasonic radiation, full carbonation (addition of CO2 until the pH was stable for 2.5h), liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio, pH, leaching temperature and time. Full carbonation, pH and the L/S ratio were the main factors controlling the mobility of DOC in the bottom ash. Approximately 60 weight-% of the total organic carbon (TOC) in the bottom ash was available for leaching in aqueous solutions. The L/S ratio and pH mainly controlled the mobilization of DOC from the APC residue. About 93 weight-% of TOC in the APC residue was, however, not mobilized at all, which might be due to a high content of elemental carbon. Using the European standard EN 13 137 for determination of total organic carbon (TOC) in MSWI residues is inappropriate. The results might be biased due to elemental carbon. It is recommended to develop a TOC method distinguishing between organic and elemental carbon.     

Selective organic compounds degradation under controlling composting conditions

Organic matter stabilization resulted from the decrease of cellulose, xylan, arabinan, acetyl groups, glucuronic acids, galacturonic acids (easily biodegradable fractions) and the increase of lignin (resistant compound) and humic substances coming from the initial wastes have been studied. A central composite experimental design was used to investigate the influence of environmental composting parameters (moisture, aeration and particle size) on organic matter evolution. The organic matter evolution was clearly influenced by the studied composting parameters. All results were concordant, with an increase of humic substances and lignin and a decrease of the rest of the cellulose and hemicellulose compounds. Lower cellulose, xylan, acetyl groups and glucuronic acids contents (higher degradation) have been observed under low particle size (1 cm) and higher moisture content (70%). However lower lignin and higher humic substances under medium (3 cm) to low particle size and low moisture content (40%) have been found.     

有机固废热解反应器研究进展

热解技术是一种优秀的有机固废处理技术,其具有环保、减量化、资源化等优点,热解技术的核心是热解反应器。通过介绍不同类型热解反应器的特点及其研究与工程应用的进展,为下一步引进与开发热解工艺提供技术支撑。     

氧化沟工艺在处理有机废水中的应用

以河南省某制革企业综合有机废水处理工程为实例,根据排放废水的水质水量及处理要求进行工程分析,对含铬废水的处理提出工艺流程;对综合有机废水处理工艺各构筑物的功能和设计进行了详细阐述.     

Wool-waste as organic nutrient source for container-grown plants

A container experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that uncomposted wool wastes could be used as nutrient source and growth medium constituent for container-grown plants. The treatments were: (1) rate of wool-waste application (0 or unamended control, 20, 40, 80, and 120 g of wool per 8-in. pot), (2) growth medium constituents [(2.1) wool plus perlite, (2.2) wool plus peat, and (2.3) wool plus peat plus perlite], and (3) plant species (basil and Swiss chard). A single addition of 20, 40, 80, or 120 g of wool-waste to Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in pots with growth medium provided four harvests of Swiss chard and five harvests of basil. Total basil yield from the five harvests was 1.6–5 times greater than the total yield from the unamended control, while total Swiss chard yield from the four harvests was 2–5 times greater relative to the respective unamended control. The addition of wool-waste to the growth medium increased Swiss chard and basil tissue N, and NO₃–N and NH₄–N in growth medium relative to the unamended control. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis of wool fibers sampled at the end of the experiments indicated various levels of decomposition, with some fibers retaining their original surface structure. Furthermore, most of the wool fibers’ surfaces contained significant concentrations of S and much less N, P, or K. SEM/EDX revealed that some plant roots grow directly on wool-waste fibers suggesting either (1) root directional growth towards sites with greater nutrient concentration and/or (2) a possible role for roots or root exudates in wool decomposition. Results from this study suggest that uncomposted wool wastes can be used as soil amendment, growth medium constituent, and nutrient source for container-grown plants.     

高铁酸盐处理有机废水的研究进展

综述了高铁酸盐去除水中藻类、细菌、烃类衍生物、药品、农药、染料等有机污染物的国内外最新研究进展,并对高铁酸盐的高效利用进行了探讨。高铁酸盐可破坏藻类和细菌细胞的完整性,将大分子芳香烃衍生物氧化为低毒的小分子中间体,将小分子链烃衍生物矿化,破坏药品、农药及染料的不饱和双键。无机矿物在溶液中负载高铁酸盐或将高分子有机物与固体高铁酸盐混合造粒,将是高铁酸盐高效利用领域的研究热点。     

Recovery of carotenoids from shrimp waste in organic solvents

Shrimp waste, which is produced in large quantities in the Indian seafood processing industries, is one of the important sources of natural carotenoids. Studies were carried out to assess the extractability of shrimp waste carotenoids in different organic solvents and solvent mixtures and to optimize the extraction conditions for maximum yield. A 50:50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and hexane gave the highest (43.9 microg/g waste) carotenoid extraction yield compared to acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, ethyl methyl ketone, petroleum ether, and hexane individually and to a mixture of acetone and hexane. Extraction conditions such as percentage of hexane in the solvent mixture of isopropyl alcohol and hexane, ratio of solvent to waste and number of extractions was optimized using a statistically designed experiment. The optimized conditions for maximum yield of carotenoids were 60% hexane in solvent mixture, solvent mixture to waste ratio of 5:1 in each extraction and three extractions. A regression equation for predicting the carotenoid yield as a function of three processing variable (hexane % in solvent mixture, solvent-to-waste ratio and number of extractions) was derived by statistical analysis, and a model with predictive ability of 0.98 was obtained.     

Fungal survival during anaerobic digestion of organic household waste

Anaerobic digestion of organic waste yields energy rich biogas and retains nutrients (N, P, K, S, etc.) in a stabilised residue. For the residue to be used as a soil fertiliser, it must be free from pollutants and harmful microorganisms. Fungal survival during sanitation and anaerobic treatment of source-separated organic household waste and during aerobic storage of the residue obtained was investigated. Decimal reduction times were determined for inoculated fungi (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium roqueforti, Rhizomucor pusillus, Thermoascus crustaceus and Thermomyces lanuginosus). Several different fungal species were found after waste sanitation treatment (70 degrees C, 1 h), with Aspergillus species dominating in non-inoculated waste. Anaerobic waste degradation decreased the diversity of fungal species for processes run at both 37 and 55 degrees C, but not total fungal colony forming units. Fungi surviving the mesophilic anaerobic digestion were mainly thermotolerant Talaromyces and Paecilomyces species. T. crustaceus and T. lanuginosus were the only inoculated fungi to survive the thermophilic anaerobic degradation process. Aerobic storage of both types of anaerobic residues for one month significantly decreased fungal counts.     

Detection of polar organic substances relevant for drinking water

Testfilter systems help in the study of the persistence of organic compounds. Hence, they are remedial measures to control pollution of the environment. The filters used as biological fixed-bed reactors should enable the simulation of the biological degradation of organic compounds before they reach the waterworks. The German chemical industry has used filters based on activated carbon for more than 20 years in order to determine the microbial poorly degradable fraction of the dissolved organic carbon in the sewage effluents. The testfilter systems proved to work well on the basis of group and ‘sum’ parameters. The new challenge was to investigate whether the testfilter concept holds also for a diversification of drinking water relevant and non-relevant single compounds. Therefore, the first task was to develop analytical methods for classes of drinking water relevant compounds in the very complex matrix of waste water. Thereafter, these methods were applied for the detection of the selected compounds in the testfilter systems and their occurrence in the receiving waters. Methods of analysis were developed for the following classes of chemical compounds: aliphatic amines, aromatic sulfonates, halogenated carboxylic acids and organic phosphates. Furthermore the formation of yet unknown drinking water relevant compounds was studied. As a result it was concluded that the major reasons for the formation of these compounds are: (1) formation of by-products during various steps in the chemical synthesis; (2) chemical reactions in the influents of the treatment plants; and (3) metabolism in the waste water treatment plant. Experiments with compounds like 6-[methyl(phenylsulfonyl)amino]hexanoic acid (HPS) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) which are known from the literature to be well degradable, confirmed that the testfilters can be utilized for simulating the performance of the underground passage. On the other hand, persistent compounds, for which 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate is a characteristic representative, remained in the filter system without being degraded. As far as the testfilters are concerned it was concluded that the activated carbon retains its adsorption capacity to a certain extent even after a long time of operation. Because it is not possible to distinguish between microbial degradation and adsorption, it was necessary to develop a modified filter set-up for testing single substances. ©     

Carbon materials-catalyzed hydroliquefaction of flame-retardant plastics in organic solvents

Flame-retardant plastics, such as desktop and laptop personal computer bodies, could be completely liquefied by carbon materials-catalyzed hydroliquefaction in tetralin without using H₂ as a hydrogen source. Active carbons with larger surface areas (1450–3450 m²/g) acted as superior catalysts in transferring tetralin hydrogens to plastics. On the other hand, carbon blacks and fullerene-rich soot were less active catalysts. Graphite and mesocarbon microbeads did not show any catalytic effects. Benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene were obtained as recyclable hydrocarbons; their total amounts varied from 4 wt% to 12 wt% depending on the types of plastics and the carbon materials used. Organic bromides such as polybromodioxins were not contained in the gases and oils of the product. Received: July 19, 2000 / Accepted: September 17, 2000     

Modelling of organic matter dynamics during the composting process

Composting urban organic wastes enables the recycling of their organic fraction in agriculture. The objective of this new composting model was to gain a clearer understanding of the dynamics of organic fractions during composting and to predict the final quality of composts. Organic matter was split into different compartments according to its degradability. The nature and size of these compartments were studied using a biochemical fractionation method. The evolution of each compartment and the microbial biomass were simulated, as was the total organic carbon loss corresponding to organic carbon mineralisation into CO₂. Twelve composting experiments from different feedstocks were used to calibrate and validate our model. We obtained a unique set of estimated parameters. Good agreement was achieved between the simulated and experimental results that described the evolution of different organic fractions, with the exception of some compost because of a poor simulation of the cellulosic and soluble pools. The degradation rate of the cellulosic fraction appeared to be highly variable and dependent on the origin of the feedstocks. The initial soluble fraction could contain some degradable and recalcitrant elements that are not easily accessible experimentally.     

Effect of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW)-based biochar on organic carbon mineralization in a dry land soil

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The purpose of this study was to investigate the priming effects of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW)-based biochar on...