Application of processed organic municipal solid waste on agricultural land – a scenario analysis

Source separation, composting and anaerobic digestion, with associated land application, are increasingly being considered as alternative waste management strategies to landfilling and incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW). Environmental life cycle assessments are a useful tool in political decision-making about waste management strategies. However, due to the diversity of processed organic MSW and the situations in which it can be applied, the environmental impacts of land application are very hard to determine by experimental means. In the current study, we used the agroecosystem model Daisy to simulate a range of different scenarios representing different geographical areas, farm and soil types under Danish conditions and legislation. Generally, the application of processed organic MSW resulted in increased emissions compared with the corresponding standard scenarios, but with large differences between scenarios. Emission coefficients for nitrogen leaching to the groundwater ranged from 0.03 to 0.87, while those for nitrogen lost to surface waters through tile drains ranged from 0 to 0.30. Emission coefficients for N₂O formation ranged from 0.013 to 0.022 and for ammonia volatilization from 0.016 to 0.11. These estimates are within reasonable range of observed values under similar conditions. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis showed that the estimates were not very sensitive to the mineralization dynamics of the processed organic MSW. The results show that agroecosystem models can be powerful tools to estimate the environmental impacts of land application of processed MSW under different conditions. Despite this, agroecosystem models have only been used to a very limited degree for this purpose.     

通风速率对烟草废料堆肥腐熟及元素变化影响

以烟草废料为原料堆肥,设置不同的通风速率,通过对堆肥中温度、营养元素和腐殖质等指标变化的研究,揭示了通风速率对堆肥腐熟和主要元素变化的影响。结果表明,通风速率为0.1和0.2 m3/(h·m3)的处理的高温期持续时间在5 d以上,满足堆肥无害化卫生标准要求,堆肥积温以0.2 m3/(h·m3)的处理最高;堆肥结束时,通风速率为0.2和0.3 m3/(h·m3)处理的总碳含量降低率、总氮含量增加率及NO3--N含量增幅均强于0.1 和0.4 m3/(h·m3)的通风处理,且两处理的NH4+-N含量至堆肥结束时降至400 mg/kg阈值以下;通风速率为0.2 m3/(h·m3)的处理的终产品的腐殖化质数为1.91,达到腐熟阈值1.90。综合以上结果表明,0.2 m3/(h·m3)的通风速率较适于烟草废料堆肥腐熟和营养转化。     

Assessment of the phytoextraction potential of high biomass crop plants

A hydroponic screening method was used to identify high biomass crop plants with the ability to accumulate metals. Highest values of shoot accumulation were found in maize cv. Ranchero, rapeseed cv. Karat, and cardoon cv. Peralta for Pb (18 753 mg kg(-1)), Zn (10 916 mg kg(-1)), and Cd (242 mg kg(-1)), respectively. Subsequently, we tested the potential of these three cultivars for the phytoextraction of a metal spiked compost, finding out that, in cardoon and maize plants, increasing Zn and Cd concentrations led to lower values of root and shoot DW. By contrast, rapeseed shoot growth was not significantly affected by Cd concentration. Finally, a metal polluted soil was used to check these cultivars' phytoextraction capacity. Although the soil was phytotoxic enough to prevent the growth of cardoon and rapeseed plants, maize plants phytoextracted 3.7 mg Zn pot(-1). We concluded that the phytoextraction performance of cultivars varies depending on the screening method used.     

牛粪堆肥升温菌剂的筛选及其作用机制

以糖、淀粉、蛋白质、纤维素培养基及菌株增殖倍数、菌株性能等为筛选方法,从牛粪低温堆肥中筛选不同原料重要功能菌并组成功能菌剂;以不同类别原料菌及单菌株发酵实验对升温机制进行研究。结果表明,芽孢杆菌、假单胞菌、纤维单胞菌及小孢霉菌等为重要功能菌;菌剂起温快,升温效果好,48 h堆体即由低温进入中温,5 d达到高温,腐熟时间可缩短至约17~18 d;糖功能菌升温效果最为显著,淀粉及蛋白质功能菌次之,纤维素功能菌升温能力较弱;菌株利用各种原料能力越强,增殖速度越快,对升温作用越大。各菌株充分利用基质各成分,紧密协同和促进,是低温堆体发酵升温的主要作用机制。     

Refuse treatment options: a case study

Records in public archives were evaluated for the period 1981-1991. Simple surveys of peoples and of technology and physical premises provided insight to gauge the attitudes of a local community in the Melbourne municipality and the Melbourne City Council towards composting of organic waste materials. There is a lag in perception and attitudes between the local community and the local government towards composting of organic refuse as a solid waste treatment option. The simple methodology of the study still made it possible to verify past and present perceptions and attitudes.     

污泥堆肥技术现状及应用中需注意的问题

阐述了堆肥技术背景与基本原理。通过对国内示范项目运行情况的研究分析,提出了堆肥处理处置中应注意的工艺选择、处理规模、通风除臭、自动化与可靠性、减量化与稳定化,以及重金属、POPs、经营风险等问题。分析了堆肥处理处置全过程的经济成本,得出了该技术的参考运行成本;给出了该技术的适用条件和发展趋势。     

An experimental study on the influence of zeolite on changes of pH and alkalinity in anaerobic treatment of compost leachate

With the increase of urbanization, municipal solid waste has also increased. Therefore, the need for solid waste management is also increasing compared with earlier decades. Composting is a good option for the recycling of solid waste; however, it produces leachate, which requires proper treatment systems to prevent environmental degradation. Due to high chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations in compost leachate, anaerobic treatment is the best option for handling the effluent, and an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) is one such anaerobic reactor that can be used for its treatment. Because of high ammonia and heavy metal concentrations, as well as the possibility of sludge washout in ABRs, it is important to use proper media, such as zeolite, which can reduce inhibition effects and sludge washout from the reactor. Anaerobic treatment, especially during the methanogenesis phase, is sensitive, and pH and alkalinity are parameters that influence the treatment. Therefore, adjusting these parameters within a normal range is very important to the proper functioning of anaerobic systems. In this study, a pilot‐scale ABR was used, and the last 4 of the 8 ABR compartments were filled with zeolite. The bioreactor was operated at hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 3, 4, and 5 days, with zeolite filling ratios of 10%, 20%, and 30%, and influent COD concentrations of 10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L). In this study, pH value was 6.43 ± 0.1, 6.96 ± 0.3, and 6.96 ± 0.25 at filling ratios of 10%, 20%, and 30%, respectively. According to the results, in all filling ratios, no significant changes were observed in the pH value when the organic loading rate increased and its amount was within a constant range. Influent alkalinity was equal to 2015 ± 510, 2884 ± 505, and 4154 ± 233 milligrams of calcium carbonate per liter (mg CaCO₃/L) at influent COD concentrations of 10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 mg/L, respectively, and in effluent, they were 2536 ± 336, 3379 ± 639, and 4377 ± 325 mg CaCO₃/L, respectively. The amount of alkalinity in the effluent increased compared with the alkalinity in the influent. The results show that the amount of alkalinity in the influent and effluent was similar, and the alkalinity enhancement was lower when the filling ratio was increased from 10% to 20%, and 20% to 30%. Comparisons of the results from zeolite with and without biofilm showed that, in cases of zeolite with biofilm, the amounts of silica and oxygen decreased and the amount of carbon increased, and it showed the formation of biofilm on the surface of zeolite. In addition, the absence of sodium in the zeolite with the biofilm indicated that sodium was exchanged with ammonium ions. According to the results, zeolite can be used in anaerobic reactors as a medium, and it also reduces fluctuations in pH and alkalinity at different organic loading rates, providing a normal range for anaerobic treatment.     

The economics of land application of fresh and composted broiler litter with an environmental constraint

Land application of broiler litter is a common disposal method due to its value as a fertiliser substitute, but presents potential environmental problems because of nutrient runoff. Composting has been suggested as an alternative due to the formation of more stable organic components. The land application of fresh and composted broiler litter are compared as alternative disposal methods. The costs of land application of broiler litter are dominated by spreading because of low nutrient densities relative to commercial fertilisers. Composting broiler litter before land application appears to be substantially less economically attractive than land application of fresh broiler litter because of high costs of production and higher spreading costs due to even lower nutrient density. However, when environmental constraints are placed on the phosphorus concentration from hayfield runoff, composting becomes a more attractive alternative. Composting becomes more viable as the land base for application becomes smaller relative to broiler production; as alternative disposal costs for litter become higher; and as environmental constraints become stricter.     

Effect of selected and non-selected urban waste compost on the initial growth of corn

Brazil produces approximately 242,000 t of waste per day, 76% of it being dumped outdoors and only 0.9% recycled, including composting, which is an alternative still little known in Brazil. In search of a better destination for residues produced by domestic activities, composting stands as a feasible alternative. Organic compost from waste may be used for various purposes, among which are soil recovery, commercial production, pastures, lawns and reforestry and agriculture. However, the quality of the compost determines the growth and the development of plants. The effect of compost made from urban waste on corn plant (Zea mays L.) growth was investigated. Two types of compost were used: the selected compost (SC), produced from organic waste selectively collected; and the non-selected compost (NSC), taken from a 15-year-old cell from the Canabrava land-fill, located in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil (altitude 51 m, 12°22′–13°08′S, 38°08′–38°47′W). Corn was seeded in polyethylene pots, with soil-compost mixing substrate in the proportion of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 t ha⁻¹ equivalent doses. Chemical analyses of the compost and growth properties of the plant like chlorophyll content; height and stem diameter; aerial and radicular dry biomasses, were used to evaluate compost quality. Plants cultivated with SC presented a superior gain, being of 52.5% in stem diameter, 71.1 and 81.2% in root and stem biomasses, respectively. Chlorophyl content alterations were observed in plants from treatments using 30 t compost ha⁻¹ dose onwards. Conventional and multivariate statistical methods were used to evaluate these results. The beneficial action of organic compost in plant growth was confirmed with this research.     

粪便高温堆肥及其施用效果研究综述

本文综述了国内外高温堆肥系统的堆肥条件、调控方法、堆肥腐熟度指标以及农田施用效果的研究进展。尽管畜禽粪便是有机肥料的主要来源,但是其携带的大量病原菌、寄生虫卵和有毒物质是影响畜禽粪便农田利用的主要原因。好氧堆肥的主要目的是杀灭粪便中携带的有害病菌和寄生虫卵,将原料中的高分子经过微生物分解为稳定的物质。如何选择堆肥腐熟度指标和利用这些指标是判定堆肥稳定与否的重要条件。最终达到合理施用有机肥、提高作物品质、改善土壤环境质量条件的目的。