Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of initial moisture content on the in-vessel composting under air pressure of organic fraction of municipal solid waste in Morocco in terms of internal temperature, produced gases quantity, organic matter conversion rate, and the quality of the final composts.For this purpose, in-vessel bioreactor was designed and used to evaluate both appropriate initial air pressure and appropriate initial moisture content for the composting process. Moreover, 5 experiments were carried out within initial moisture content of 55%, 65%, 70%, 75% and 85%. The initial air pressure and the initial moisture content of the mixture showed a significant effect on the aerobic composting. The experimental results demonstrated that for composting organic waste, relatively high moisture contents are better at achieving higher temperatures and retaining them for longer times.This study suggested that an initial moisture content of around 75%, under 0.6 bar, can be considered as being suitable for efficient composting of organic fraction of municipal solid waste. These last conditions, allowed maximum value of temperature and final composting product with good physicochemical properties as well as higher organic matter degradation and higher gas production. Moreover, final compost obtained showed good maturity levels and can be used for agricultural applications.
Highlights
In Morocco, most municipal solid wastes (MSW) are disposed-off in landfills
Food scraps and garden waste are the major components of organic waste in MSW but the final composition of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) varies with seasons and consumption types
Because of the air oxygen abundance in the bioreactor, this experiment allows better organic matter degradation by micro-organisms and production of gases that are responsible of internal pressure increase
Summary
In Morocco, most municipal solid wastes (MSW) are disposed-off in landfills. Main Moroccan consumption of organic products consists of vegetables, fruits and tea products (85%) with an average annual consumption of 5,841,440 tons, 2,076,946 tons and 138,740 tons respectively [1]. The average annual consumption per person is about 167 kg of vegetables, 60 kg of fruit and 4 kg of tea products, while means total consumption of these. Composting has long been recognized as an environmentally acceptable method for treating industrial and agricultural organic wastes [4]. It is a natural process by which micro-organisms decompose organic matter into simpler nutrients.
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