Composition of a Microbial Community at Different Stages of Composting and the Prospects for Compost Production from Municipal Organic Waste (Review)

Abstract

This paper summarizes the current understanding of changes in the composition of the microbial community within compost in relation to the temperature at each stage of the process and explores the role of microbial associations in the biodegradation and detoxification of organic waste components. Attention is paid to the process of creating a balance between the active aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms in the compost mass, which allows nitrogen to be preserved in the finished compost and the cost of aeration to be reduced. It has been shown that the addition of natural minerals, in particular, zeolite, has a positive effect on the composting process and improves the quality of the compost, ensures the content of silicon in a bioavailable form in the compost, prevents ammonia emissions, and reduces the concentration of heavy metals. Particular attention is paid to the prospect of composting compacted anaerobically treated sewage sludge with the addition of an organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) and lignocellulosic waste.