Abstract
The industrialization process of oranges generates waste, which is inadequately disposed of; this produces adverse effects on the environment. Among the alternatives for valorization is the vermicomposting process, which consists of the degradation of organic waste through the action of earthworms and microorganisms. Therefore, this research aimed to study this process using orange peel (OP) waste at the laboratory level. For this purpose, it was necessary to determine the degradation conditions through the monitoring of physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, humidity, organic matter (OM), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and the carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio). To balance the substrate’s nutrients, load material (LM) that included vegetable waste and eggshells was added to three different mixtures: M1 (50% OP + 50% LM), M2 (40% OP + 60% LM) and M3 (60% OP + 40% LM). To condition the substrate for earthworm (Eisenia fetida) activity, a previous precomposting process was performed. The results showed that all the mixtures fulfilled the requirements for a quality and mature vermicompost; however, the highest concentrations for TN were in the mixtures M1 and M2. The total time required for degradation of the OP waste was 13 weeks.
Highlights
The orange (Citrus × sinensis) is a citrus fruit that is consumed all over the world in different ways [1]
The literature consulted indicated the optimum pH range is 6 to 8.5; it is related to the formation of ammonium ions during the degradation of Organic Matter (OM) and the consumption of organic acids by microorganisms in the precomposting process [30,37,38]
The application of vermicompost with a low C/N ratio has a beneficial impact on the soil [75]. Throughout this experiment, it was demonstrated that the vermicomposting process was feasible for degrading Orange peel (OP) waste, obtaining a quality product according to the final physicochemical characteristics to be applied as a soil improver
Summary
The orange (Citrus × sinensis) is a citrus fruit that is consumed all over the world in different ways [1]. In 2018–2019, the global production volume of fresh oranges was about 54.3 million metric tons [2]. Brazil is responsible for more than three-quarters of the orange juice produced worldwide and for 15% of the international exports of this product, followed by China, the United States, Mexico and some European countries [3,4]. Only around 50% of the weight of fresh oranges is transformed into juice. The process for obtaining juice generates large amounts of waste (peels, pulp, seeds, orange leaves and whole orange fruits that do not fulfill quality requirements). Orange peel (OP) waste constitutes approximately 50–60% of the weight of the processed fruit, composed of peels, tissue and the remaining portion of seeds [1,5]; it contains 75–85% water, 6–8% simple sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and 1.53% polysaccharides (pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose). Its pH is 3–5, and there is a significant presence of essential oil that is mainly composed of d-limonene (83–97%) [6]
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