Che 191-1: Solid Waste Management

CHE 191-1: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
LECTURE 4
Learning Objectives
 To define composting
 Discuss the benefits of composting
 Enumerate three stages of composting
 Size reduction
 Decomposition
 Curing
 Enumerate factors affecting the composting process
 Nutrients
 Carbon to nitrogen ratio
 Aeration
 Moisture content
 Temperature
 pH
Definition: Composting
 Process involving both the separation and bacterial conversion
of organic solid wastes
 Is a controlled aerobic, biological conversion of organic wastes

into a complex, stable material.
 When organic materials are separated from municipal waste

and subjected to bacterial decomposition
 Decomposition of organic waste may be accomplished either

aerobically or anaerobically depending on the availability of
oxygen
Definition: Compost
 (humus) end product remaining after dissimilatory and
assimilatory bacterial activities
Modes of Composting
1. Traditional composting
2. Accelerated composting/ enzyme-assisted composting
3. Vermicomposting
Benefits of Composting
 Reduction of landfill load
 Reduction in hauling costs if practiced at the backyard level.
 Provides a natural source of nutrients such as nitrogen, Phosphorous, sulfur,

Potassium, Copper, Iron, Zinc and Nickel
 When used, moderates soil pH
 Increases soil aeration and water holding capacity

Three Basic Steps in Composting Operation

Step1:
 Receiving, sorting, separation, size reduction and moisture
and nutrient addition
Step 2:
 Several methods and techniques develop, once solid is
converted to humus, they are ready for the third step
Step 3:
 Fine grinding, blending w/ various additives, granulation,
bagging, and storage shipping and in some cases direct
marketing
Three Stages in Composting

 Size reduction and chemical or biological conditioning
 Decomposition
 Curing
The Role of Organisms in Composting

 Bacteria
 First to establish in a compost pile
 Process readily decomposable substrates (proteins, carbohydrates and

sugars)
 Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are also present and fix atmospheric nitrogen for
incorporation into cellular mass

 Fungi
 Tolerate low moisture conditions
 Have lower nitrogen requirements, capable of decomposing lignin and

cellulose materials which bacteria cannot

 Others
 Actinomycytes
 Decompose aromatics, steroids, phenols, other complex organic
molecules
 Others
 Rotifers, nematodes, mites, springtails, sowbugs, beetles and
earthworms

Thermal Regimes in Composting

 Mesophillic
 Growth is most rapid at temperatures between 25 to 45° C.
 Thermophillic
 Prefer temperatures between 45 to 70° C

Factors affecting the composting process

1. Nutrients
2. Carbon to nitrogen ratio
3. Aeration
4. Moisture content
5. Temperature
6. pH
Nutrients
 Available substrates:
 Proteins, lipids, sugars, starch, amino sugars, chitin, cellulose, lignin, crude
fiber
 Other nutrient requirements:
 Nitrogen, P, K, Mg, S, Fe, Ca, Mn, Zn, Cu, Co and Mo

Prokaryotic cells
Nutrients
Nutrients
 Must be in a form that is readily assimilated
 Materials such as lignin, chitin, cellulose C are not available to bacteria
 Fats and fatty acids are relatively bioavailable
 Availability of nutrients is also a function of pH

Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio (C/N)

 A large fraction of the substrate is oxidized to CO2.
 The remaining carbon is converted into cellular material such as cell walls,
protoplasm, etc.
Optimum C/N ratio

 C:N ratio must be between 25:1 and 20:1
 Above 35:1, the microbial consortium must pass thru several life cycles to
reduce the ratio, thereby lengthening the composting period.
 Below 20:1, composting will be inhibited due to low energy supplies and
nitrogen will be lost by leaching and volatilization as ammonia.
Adjusting the C/N ratio

 If C:N is high, add nitrogenous waste
 If C:N is low, add carbonaceous waste such as straw, sawdust, shredded paper.
C/N ratio of various wastes and materials

Aeration
 Available oxygen is from ambient air thru voids
 At the onset, the composition approximates the concentration of oxygen in

air – 20.9% O2
 O2 should fall within the range of 15% to 20%
 CO2 should fall between 0.5 to 5%

Aerobic respiration reactions
If the oxygen concentration falls below 15%
 Facultative anaerobes are activated and rapidly become dominant.
 Fermentation and anaerobic respiration occurs
 Acetic acid, ethanol, methane and ethane will form:

Aerobic vs. anaerobic respiration
 The energy available from aerobic reactions are approximately 14 times

the energy generated by anaerobic decomposition
Pilot-scale testing
 Oxygen requirements during aerobic composting can be determined

using the following equation knowing the composition of the feed input
and final product.
Pilot-scale testing
 Oxygen requirements during aerobic composting can be determined

using the following equation knowing the composition of the feed input
and final product:
Pilot-scale testing
 CaHbOcNd and nCwHxOyNz are the compositions of the feed substrate

and final product respectively.
 Elemental analysis is necessary.

Estimating air requirements for composting

Moisture content
 Less moisture will result in dehydration, slow biological processes
 Excess water interferes with aeration by blocking pores

Moisture content
 The optimum amount of water to be applied to a compost pile:

Example:
At a municipal waste handling facility, a mixture of approximately 25 MT of

food waste, yard waste and paper waste is to be composted. The moisture
content of the feedstock is 9.5%. It was previously determined that the
ideal moisture content for the compost pile should be 55%. Calculate the
volume of water to be added.
Ans: 25.3MT
Temperature
 Optimum temp range is 28 to 55°C
 Highest oxygen consumption occurs within this range
 If temp reaches 65-70°C, spore formers with form spores, decomposition

rate is reduced. Microbes incapable of forming spores are strongly inhibited
or killed
pH
 Phosphorous availability is maximum at neutral pH
 Optimal pH range is between 5.5-8 but:
 Organic materials of a pH range from 3-11 can be composted

The composting stage
 Period of microbial activity & conversion
 Popular composting methods are:

 Open systems
 Turned piles
 Turned Windrows
 Static aerated piles
 Closed systems
 Rotating drums
 Tanks
Open composting systems – Turned piles

Open composting systems – Windrows

Open composting systems – Aerated piles
Odour filter pile of

screened compost
Closed systems – Rotating drums and tanks

The curing stage
 Monitor the temp of the pile after turning – if reheating occurs, the pile
is not yet ready for curing
 Involves stabilization of compost
 C/N ratio should not exceed 20:1

Environmental concerns during composting

 Air quality - dust generation and bioaerosols
 Odor from inadequate oxygen/aeration
 Noise from heavy equipment
 Toxins – herbicides, pesticides and other biocides
 Leachate
 Vectors
 Fires
Vectors
 “Vector”includes any insect or other arthropod, rodent, or other animal

capable of transmitting the causative agents of human disease, or
disrupting the normal enjoyment of life by adversely affecting the public
health and well being.”
Vector Indicators
 Tracks
 Droppings
 Urine odor
 Fresh gnaw marks
 Nests/burrows
 Sightings
 Damage to windrows, structures, equipment
What is vermicomposting
 Contains not only worm casting, but also bedding materials and organic
wastes at various stages of decomposition
 It also contains worms at various stages of development and other

microorganisms associated with the composting processing.
Methods of vermicomposting
 Bed Method
 Done on the pucca/kachcha floor by making bed (6 X 2 X 2 feet size)
of organic mixture
Methods of vermicomposting
 Pit Method
 Done in the
cemented pits of
size 5 x 5 x 3 feet.
The unit is covered
with thatch grass or
any other locally
available materials
Process and requirements of vermicomposting

 Following steps are followed for vermicomposting preparation
 Vermicomposting unit should be in a cool, moist and shady site
 Cow dung and chopped dried leafy materials are mixed in the proportion of 3:1 and are kept for partial
decomposition for 15-20 days
 A layer of 15-20 cm of chopped dried leaves/grass should be kept as bedding material at the bottom of
the bed
 Beds of partially decomposed material of size 6x2x2 feet should be made
 Each bed should contain 1.5-2.0q of raw material and the number of beds can be increased as per raw
material availability and requirement
 Red earthworm (1500-2000) should be released on the upper layer of bed
 Water should be sprinkled with can immediately after the release of worms
 Beds should be kept moist by sprinkling water (daily) and by covering with gunny bags/polythene
 Beds should be turned once after 30 days to maintain aeration and for proper decomposition
 Compost gets ready in 45-50 days
 The finished product is ¾ of the raw materials used
Sheltered vermicomposting
Rapid vermicomposting
 Involves the addition of enzymes or organisms such as:

 Trichoderma sp.
 Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi belonging to the
genus Glomus (G.mosseae or G. fasciculatum).
 N-fixing bacteria
 Lactic acid bacteria
 Phototrophic bacteria
Rapid vermicomposting
 Shortens the composting period to weeks rather than months or years

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CHE 191-1: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

 Is a controlled aerobic, biological conversion of organic wastes

 When organic materials are separated from municipal waste

 Decomposition of organic waste may be accomplished either

2. Accelerated composting/ enzyme-assisted composting

 Reduction in hauling costs if practiced at the backyard level.

 Provides a natural source of nutrients such as nitrogen, Phosphorous, sulfur,

 When used, moderates soil pH

 Increases soil aeration and water holding capacity

Three Basic Steps in Composting Operation

Three Stages in Composting

The Role of Organisms in Composting

 First to establish in a compost pile

 Process readily decomposable substrates (proteins, carbohydrates and

The Role of Organisms in Composting

 Tolerate low moisture conditions

 Have lower nitrogen requirements, capable of decomposing lignin and

The Role of Organisms in Composting

The Role of Organisms in Composting

Thermal Regimes in Composting

 Growth is most rapid at temperatures between 25 to 45° C.

 Prefer temperatures between 45 to 70° C

Factors affecting the composting process

2. Carbon to nitrogen ratio

 Other nutrient requirements:

 Nitrogen, P, K, Mg, S, Fe, Ca, Mn, Zn, Cu, Co and Mo

 Materials such as lignin, chitin, cellulose C are not available to bacteria

 Fats and fatty acids are relatively bioavailable

 Availability of nutrients is also a function of pH

Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio (C/N)

Optimum C/N ratio

Adjusting the C/N ratio

C/N ratio of various wastes and materials

 Available oxygen is from ambient air thru voids

 At the onset, the composition approximates the concentration of oxygen in

 O2 should fall within the range of 15% to 20%

 CO2 should fall between 0.5 to 5%

Aerobic respiration reactions

If the oxygen concentration falls below 15%

 Facultative anaerobes are activated and rapidly become dominant.

 Fermentation and anaerobic respiration occurs

 Acetic acid, ethanol, methane and ethane will form:

Aerobic vs. anaerobic respiration

 The energy available from aerobic reactions are approximately 14 times

 Oxygen requirements during aerobic composting can be determined

 Oxygen requirements during aerobic composting can be determined

 CaHbOcNd and nCwHxOyNz are the compositions of the feed substrate

 Elemental analysis is necessary.

Estimating air requirements for composting

 Less moisture will result in dehydration, slow biological processes

 Excess water interferes with aeration by blocking pores

 The optimum amount of water to be applied to a compost pile:

At a municipal waste handling facility, a mixture of approximately 25 MT of

 Optimum temp range is 28 to 55°C

 Highest oxygen consumption occurs within this range

 If temp reaches 65-70°C, spore formers with form spores, decomposition

 Phosphorous availability is maximum at neutral pH

 Optimal pH range is between 5.5-8 but:

 Organic materials of a pH range from 3-11 can be composted

The composting stage

 Period of microbial activity & conversion

 Popular composting methods are:

Open composting systems – Turned piles