Quality control and assessment of compost obtained from open and In-Vessel composting methods

Abstract

Huge quantity of municipal solid wastes which are generated in the metropolitan city like Bangalore has made the waste management operations very difficult within the city. This improper waste management has resulted in adverse effects on human health, soil, biota and the surrounding air. This paper provides information related to (a) Comparison between In Vessel composting method and Open air composting method which are majorly used in our current study for converting the organic fraction of the municipal solid wastes (especially the food and garden wastes of the city) into a high-quality product material called compost. (b) Designing of a portable In-Vessel composting wooden box for the Bangalore city households.The In-Vessel composting method was carried out in a close fabricated portable rectangular wooden box which was specifically designed for our current study purpose and Open Air composting method was carried out in normal open plastic bins where wastes were exposed to the surrounding atmospheric conditions. The composting operational parameters like the temperature, pH, moisture content & aeration are monitored throughout the study phase. The final compost samples obtained from both In-Vessel composting and Open Air composting techniques were sent for nutrient quality testing (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium- N,P,K) to the nearby Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra (GKVK) Biochemistry laboratory, Bangalore. The testing results showed that comparatively, the compost samples obtained from In vessel composting method were found to be having optimum quantity of nutrients essential for the plants growth. During the study, it is also found that the In-Vessel composting not only yields a nutritious compost, but also assists in odour control. Hence the currently designed In-Vessel composting box can be easily adopted & installed within individual houses or within the small scale communities of Bangalore to manage the organic wet wastes. This in-turn reduces the amount of wastes entering into the landfill sites.