Abstract
Municipal solid waste and sewage sludge are produced in large quantities that are often managed through industrial composting treatment. Because of their origin, composition, and complexity, ensuring adequate stabilization of the organic matter, and sanitation of fecal contaminants during composting is of the utmost significance, and difficult to achieve on an industrial scale. In this study, the operations of six industrial composting facilities that process municipal solid waste and sewage sludge were evaluated from the point of view of the sanitation achieved and the quality of the compost produced. In addition, the results were compared using the model of industrial compost from green waste. Differences between the plants were ascribable to operations other than composting systems. High phytotoxicity and fecal contamination above legislation thresholds were found in compost produced from municipal solid waste. In contrast, compost from sewage sludge were more stable and mature than those produced from green waste, and also had an adequate level of sanitation. The raw material and operational factors are of great relevance to obtain a stable, mature, and pathogen-free compost.
Highlights
At present, the amount of wastes generated by the welfare society has increased considerably, and the number of industrial facilities dedicated to organic waste treatment has enlarged notably [1]
There is a need to take into account the particularities of industrial composting with respect to small-scale composting in order to avoid the risk of generating products that are unsuitable for agronomic application [5]
Four facilities exceeded the enterococci content (VR2, MSW2, MSW3 and SS3). They did not exceed the E. coli and Salmonella spp. limits, so they complied with the requirements. These results showed that the fecal enterococci group was more resistant to the conditions prevailing during composting than the E. coli and
Summary
The amount of wastes generated by the welfare society has increased considerably, and the number of industrial facilities dedicated to organic waste treatment has enlarged notably [1]. There is a need for a tool that unites economic activity and environmental well-being in a sustainable way that integrates organic waste into the circular economy model implemented in Europe [2]. This process results in the stabilization of organic matter, generating a final product that can be used as a soil conditioner and a supply of nutrients [3,4].
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