Breakdown Of Organic Matter Research Articles

Abundance, geo-microbial role and community diversity of sulfate-reducing bacteria in tropical estuarine sediments

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), a diverse taxonomic group of anaerobic microorganisms that oxidize sulfur compounds as terminal electron acceptors, drive the key biogeochemical process of sulfate reduction. However, little is known about the diversity of SRB in tropical coastal habitats. Thus, the goal of this study is to explore and compare the community diversity of the Ashtamudi and Vembanad estuaries and evaluate the sedimentary sulfate reduction rate. The microbiome profiling of SRB was carried out using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques (Illumina sequencing) based on gene amplification of the dissimilatory sulfate reductase (dsr) enzyme to confirm the diversity and dominant taxa of SRB. The diversity of SRB represented by the Shannon alpha diversity index of the Ashtamudi estuary (6.55) was two-fold that of the Vembanad estuary. In the Vembanad estuary, the marine zone (4.09) harboured more diversity than the freshwater zone (1.825). Higher diversity and lower abundant taxa in the Ashtamudi estuary pointed out the presence of a rare biosphere that has not yet been studied. It was interesting to note that both estuaries have the same SRB phylum diversity. At the level of species, however, there was a noticeable difference. This differential diversity of SRB has an apparent influence on methane production during the breakdown of organic matter in addition to sulfate reduction. Several species of SRB have an important role in the biodegradation of persistent pollutants and the removal of heavy metals.

Anaerobic fermented algae furcellaria lumbricalis tablets as a dual-purpose fertilizer and substrate for sustainable seedling growth

This article presents a study focused on the creation, evaluation of anaerobic fermented algae Furcellaria lumbricalis pressed biomass tablets as a dual-purpose fertilizer and substrate for sustainable seedling growth. The research aims to address the need for more sustainable agricultural practices by exploring alternative solutions to chemical fertilizers. The methodology involved collecting and preparing Furcellaria Lumbricalis algae from the Baltic Sea coast, followed by anaerobic fermentation in a small-scale bioreactor. The resulting digestate was formed into tablets using a designed press and template. A growth experiment was conducted using basil seeds, comparing the performance of seedlings grown with the algae tablets to those grown with traditional substrate. The results showed that the seedlings grown using the anaerobic fermented algae tablets exhibited comparable growth rates and biomass to those grown with conventional methods. Effectiveness of the tablets can be attributed to the breakdown of organic matter during the fermentation process, which makes nutrients more accessible to plants and improves their uptake. However, further research is necessary to optimize the concentrations and formulations of the anaerobic fermented algae tablets. The effectiveness of these tablets should be evaluated in different plant species and growing conditions. In conclusion, this study provides promising evidence that anaerobic fermented algae Furcellaria Lumbricalis tablets could serve as an effective and sustainable solution for fertilizer and substrate needs in seedling growth.

Degradability and Organic Strength of Gross Organic Pollutants In Surface Water of Mini Whuo Stream Obio/Akpor, Rivers State, Nigeria

Water samples were collected from Mini Whou Stream and analyzed for gross organic pollutants and the results was used to evaluate the organic strength of the Stream. The gross organic pollutants studied were dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Dissolved oxygen within the months studied ranged from 5.45±0.15-5.58±0.14mg/L, which were lower than the WHO value for drinking water. Biochemical oxygen demand within the months studied ranged from 36.25±4.47-36.55±3.88mg/L, which was higher than the recommended level for drinking water by WHO. Chemical oxygen within the months studied ranged from 51.82±3.25 – 52.57 mg/L which was above the WHO acceptable level. The organic strength (BOD/COD) of the surface water during the months ranged from 0.69–0.70. The results recorded revealed that the stream was polluted with gross organic pollutants and is therefore not fit for human consumption. The values recorded for organic strength indicated that microbial breakdown of organic matter was very active, which showed that the water of the stream was contaminated with organic pollutants. This should therefore discourage input of organic matter from diffuse sources into the stream. Keywords: Biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, gross organic pollutants, organic strength

Effectiveness of mixing poultry litter compost with rice husk biochar in mitigating ammonia volatilization and carbon dioxide emission

Nitrogen-rich materials such as poultry litter (PL) contributes to substantial N and C loss in the form of ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) during composting. Biochar can act as a sorbent of ammonia (NH3) and CO2 emission released during co-composting. Thus, co-composting poultry litter with rice husk biochar as a bulking agent is a good technique to mitigate NH3 volatilization and CO2 emission. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of composting the mixtures of poultry litter with rice husk biochar at different ratios on NH3 and CO2 emissions. Four mixtures of poultry litter and rice husk biochar at different rate were composted at 0:1, 0.5:1, 1.3:1 and 2.3:1 ratio of rice husk biochar (RHB): poultry litter (PL) on a dry weight basis to achieve a suitable C/N ratio of 15, 20, 25, and 30, respectively. The results show that composting poultry litter with rice husk biochar can accelerate the breakdown of organic matter, thereby shortening the thermophilic phase compared to composting using poultry litter alone. There was a significant reduction in the cumulative NH3 emissions, which accounted for 78.38%, 94.60%, and 97.30%, for each C/N ratio of 20, 25, and 30. The total nitrogen (TN) retained relative was 75.96%, 85.61%, 90.24%, and 87.89% for each C/N ratio of 15, 20, 25, and 30 at the completion of composting. Total carbon dioxide lost was 5.64%, 6.62%, 8.91%, and 14.54%, for each C/N ratio of 15, 20, 21, and 30. In addition, the total carbon (TC) retained were 66.60%, 72.56%, 77.39%, and 85.29% for 15, 20, 25, and 30 C/N ratios and shows significant difference as compared with the initial reading of TC of the compost mixtures. In conclusion, mixing and composting rice husk biochar in poultry litter with C/N ratio of 25 helps in reducing the NH3 volatilization and CO2 emissions, while reducing the overall operational costs of waste disposal by shortening the composting time alongside nitrogen conservation and carbon sequestration. In formulating the compost mixture with rice husk biochar, the contribution of C and N from the biochar can be neglected in the determination of C/N ratio to predict the rate of mineralization in the compost because biochar has characteristic of being quite inert and recalcitrant in nature.

Sindroma Kardiorenal

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) atau sindroma kardiorenal merupakan suatu kondisi dimana terjadi penyakit ginjal dan penyakit jantung secara bersamaan yang progresifitasnya terjadi dengan cepat. Pada kasus dimana penyakit jantung merupakan penyakit primer, yang terjadi adalah gangguan dinamika kardioavaskular, aktivasi neurohormonal dan faktor inflamasi yang terlibat dalam awal-mulanya perburukan fungsi ginjal dan penyakit ginjal yang progresif.Sepsis adalah “respons sistemik terhadap infeksi yang telah terdokumenetasi atau masih dicurigai dan terjadi disfungsi satu organ”; terdiri dari hipotermia/hipertermia, takikardia, takipnea, infeksi, dan disfungsi organ akhir akibat hipoperfusi. Sepsis yang lebih modern didasari konsep SIRS, sebuah istilah yang mendeskripsikan kompleks imun sebagai respons infeksi dan digunakan untuk menggambarkan ciri klinis yang berkaitan dengan respons tersebut. Penggunaan klinis SIRS menggambarkan kekacauan laju nafas, frekuensi denyut jantung, temperature, dan jumlah leukosit. Jika ada 2 dari 4 kriteria di bawah ini, SIRS bisa ditegakkan: nafas > 20 kali per menit atau PaCo2 <32 mmHg, frekuensi nadi >90 kali per menit, suhu >38o C atau <36o C, dan leukosit >12,000/mm3 atau <4,000/mm3.CRS sepsis adalah disfungsi renal dan kardiak yang terjadi bersamaan dalam sebuah kondisi sistemik primer yang mempengaruhi kedua organ. “Tuntutan iskemik” jantung didasarkan pada alasan meningkatnya kebutuhan oksigen berkaitan dengan respons sepsis (misalnya takikardia, peningkatan curah jantung) yang mengarah kepada cedera iskemik. Disfungsi renal dapat dilihat selama sepsis berat dan merupakan bagian dari gambaran klinis syok septik dan kegagalan multi organ.

Isoetid mediated radial oxygen loss prevents iron reduction and the related mobilisation of ammonium and methane: an experimental approach

Isoetids are slow growing ecosystem-engineers that maintain an oligotrophic environment through high radial oxygen losses (ROL) from their roots. This ROL could potentially reduce methane (CH4) emission by maintaining sediment redox conditions unfavourable for methanogenesis. Isoetids have declined in many European countries as an effect of eutrophication and inorganic carbon enrichment. To assess the effect of sudden disappearance of isoetids on biogeochemical carbon and nutrient cycling in organic rich sediments, we set up a greenhouse experiment. Intact vegetated sediment patches with Lobelia dortmanna and Littorella uniflora were collected from ten boreal Norwegian softwater lakes. From half of the patches, isoetids were manually removed. We determined the effect of removal on sediment redox potential, pore water chemistry and CH4 emission. In addition, germination success of L. dortmanna seeds was tested on the sediments where isoetids were removed. The absence of ROL after isoetid removal led to a drop in sediment redox potential, resulting in anaerobic breakdown of organic matter using alternative electron acceptors, especially iron(hydr)oxides. Consequently, increased porewater concentrations of ammonium, iron, inorganic carbon and CH4 were observed in sediments where isoetids had been removed compared to the isoetid vegetated sediments. Moreover, over 20 times higher emission of CH4 was observed from the sediments where isoetids had been removed. On the highly reduced sediments, the germination of L. dortmanna was hampered. When isoetids are unable to recolonise after disturbance events, it is expected that the absence of ROL eventually results in a long-term increase in lake productivity and CH4 emission.

Distribution of Microorganisms and Fractionation of Sulphur in Anthropogenic Wetlands under Long-term Elevated CO2 Soil

The fate of extra carbon accessing soil under elevated CO2 levels, as well as the repercussions for plant nutrition, is primarily determined by soil microbe activity. However, most increased CO2 research has reported changes usually increases in soil organic carbon and reduction in the pH of the soil which is merely the first step in understanding how soil processes are altered. We analyzed these variables by assessing enzyme activities and identifying the individual components impacted by high CO2 and those that reflect changes in soil organic matter pools. The majority of the microbial variables studied showed a significant increase under eCO2 conditions, The rise in dehydrogenase activity suggests that the increased biomass of bacteria coincided with an increase in their activity. The rise in phosphatase activities implies that organic matter breakdown is being stimulated overall. The sulphur fractions had a significantly increased number of substrates consumed by soil microorganisms under increasing CO2. Moreover, direct examination of data from these perspective steep shifts in soil biological activity points to possible areas of investigation.

Differential impact of acidic and alkaline conditions on hydrothermal pretreatment, fermentation and anaerobic digestion of sludge.

Anaerobic digestion and fermentation processes in wastewater sludge treatment are limited by several factors, including the slow breakdown of complex organic matter and solubilization of solids. In this study, thermochemical pretreatment of thickened waste activated sludge using high temperature (>170 °C) was investigated to understand the impact of the pretreatment on the volatile fatty acids (VFA) production and its fractions during the fermentation process. Furthermore, the influence the thermochemical pretreatment on sludge disintegration and methane recovery was investigated. A range of acidic and alkaline conditions over the pH range of 4.5-10 was examined. Sludge (pH adjusted) was exposed to hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) at a temperature of 170 °C for 30 min. Pretreated samples were then subjected to batch fermentation and methane potential tests which revealed that acidic and alkaline conditions resulted in increased sludge solubilization during HTP. Acidic conditions were associated with a higher VFA production yield of up to 185 mg chemical oxygen demand/g total chemical oxygen demand. Alkaline conditions led to a higher methane production yield where the maximum yield (276 mL CH4/g total chemical oxygen demandadded) was found to occur at pH 10. Therefore, alkaline sludge used for fermentation has shown technical and economic feasibility for sludge carbon recovery.

Improvement of gaseous bioenergy production from spent coffee grounds Co-digestion with pulp wastewater by physical/chemical pretreatments

Two steps of hydrolysis and anaerobic biogas production processes was investigated in this study. In the first step, subcritical water (SBW) hydrolysis and chemical (acid/alkali) pretreatments were carried out to enhance hydrolysis efficiency by obtaining and analyzing the total volatile fatty acids (TVFA), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total sugar productions from spent coffee grounds (SCG) hydrolysate. The subcritical water (SBW) hydrolysis under the condition of temperature 150 °C for 30 min can greatly improve the organic matter breakdown and reached the COD concentration of 1010 g/L which was 30% higher than the untreated raw SCG. For chemical pretreatments, it was found that the alkaline hydrolysis of SCG resulted in the greatest total sugar concentration of 181 g/L whereas the operation conditions were 2.0 M NaOH at 60 °C for 1 h. The peak of TVFA concentration 3725 mg/L was found at the acid hydrolysis of SCG with 1.0 M H2SO4 acid, 60 °C for 1 h. The optimal biomethane yield of 115 mL/g COD was obtained when 1.0 M H2SO4 acid hydrolysate co-digestion with pulp wastewater which increase methane yield production 8 times of raw pulp wastewater. The pretreatment process was confirmed in this study can significant improve the converting of the biowastes to bioenergy efficiency.

Leaf litter breakdown along an elevational gradient in Australian alpine streams.

The breakdown of allochthonous organic matter, is a central step in nutrient cycling in stream ecosystems. There is concern that increased temperatures from climate change will alter the breakdown rate of organic matter, with important consequences for the ecosystem functioning of alpine streams. This study investigated the rate of leaf litter breakdown and how temperature and other factors such as microbial and invertebrate activities influenced this over elevational and temporal gradients. Dried leaves of Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora) and cotton strips were deployed in coarse (6 mm), and fine (50 μm) mesh size bags along an 820 m elevation gradient. Loss of mass in leaf litter and cotton tensile strength per day (k per day), fungal biomass measured as ergosterol concentration, invertebrate colonization of leaf litter, and benthic organic matter (mass and composition) were determined. Both microbial and macroinvertebrate activities were equally important in leaf litter breakdown with the abundance of shredder invertebrate taxa. The overall leaf litter breakdown rate and loss of tensile strength in cotton strips (both k per day) were greater during warmer deployment periods and at lower elevations, with significant positive relationships between mean water temperature and leaf breakdown and loss of tensile strength rate, but no differences between sites, after accounting for the effects of temperature. Despite considerably lower amounts of benthic organic matter in streams above the tree line relative to those below, shredders were present in coarse mesh bags at all sites. Ergosterol concentration was greater on leaves in coarse mesh bags than in fine mesh bags, implying differences in the microbial communities. The importance of water temperatures on the rate of leaf litter breakdown suggests the potential effects of climate change‐induced temperature increases on ecological processes in such streams.

Short‐term effects of a large dam decommissioning on biofilm structure and functioning

Aging dams and the rising efforts to restore stream ecosystems are increasing the number of dam decommissioning programs. Although dam decommissioning aims at improving in‐stream habitat, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning in the long term, it might also cause ecological impacts in the short term due to the mobilization of the sediment accumulated in the reservoir. Benthic biofilm in particular can be impaired by episodes of high turbidity and scouring. We conducted a multiple before‐after/control‐impact experiment to assess the effects of the drawdown of a large dam (42 m tall), a first step to its decommissioning, on biofilm structure (biomass and chlorophyll‐a) and functioning (metabolism, nutrient uptake, and organic matter breakdown). Our results show that the reservoir drawdown reduced the autotrophic biofilm biomass (chlorophyll‐a) downstream from the dam, which in turn lowered metabolism. However, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by the biofilm was not affected. Organic matter breakdown was slower below the dam than in nearby undammed reaches before and during drawdown. All drawdown effects quickly disappeared and reaches downstream from the dam approached values found in nearby undammed reaches. Thus, our results indicate that the effects of reservoir drawdown on stream biofilms exist but may be small and disappear rapidly.

Relationship Between Cariogenic Food Consumption Patterns and Brushing With the Event of Dental Caries in Early Childhood

Dental caries is a major problem in the oral cavity today. Preschool children have a high susceptibility to dental caries caused by the activity of a microorganism in a fermentable carbohydrate characterized by demineralization of the hard tooth tissue and followed by the breakdown of organic matter. Children's dental health plays a role in children's growth and health. The problem in this study is the high incidence of dental caries in children under five.The design of this research is analytic with a cross sectional approach. Sampling using Simple Random Sampling technique. The population in this study were all children aged 3-5 years in Early Childhood Education Programs Sooko Mandiri I. The sample obtained was 38 respondents in October 2021. Data were collected using a closed questionnaire and observation sheets filled out by the researcher. After that, the data was tabulated and analyzed using Cross Tabulation and Linear Regression. The results showed that most of the respondents were in the category of cariogenic food consumption with a frequency of sometimes 50%, while most of the respondents were in the category of brushing their teeth with an occasional frequency of 52.7%. Based on the Linear Regression test with p < 0.05, the p value for the relationship between cariogenic food consumption patterns and dental caries and tooth brushing patterns with dental caries was 0.57. Thus there is no relationship between the consumption pattern of cariogenic food and the habit of brushing teeth with the incidence of dental caries. Seeing the results of this study, it is still necessary to have periodic counseling in order to further improve the habit of brushing children's teeth and reduce children's consumption patterns of cariogenic foods.Â

Aridec: an open database of litter mass loss from aridlands worldwide with recommendations on suitable model applications

Abstract. Plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems involves the physical and chemical breakdown of organic matter. Development of databases is a promising tool for achieving a predictive understanding of organic matter degradation at regional and global scales. In this paper, we present aridec, a comprehensive open database containing litter mass loss data from aridlands across the world. We describe in detail the structure of the database and discuss general patterns in the data. Then, we explore what are the most appropriate model structures to integrate with data on litter decomposition from the database by conducting a collinearity analysis. The database includes 184 entries from aridlands across the world, representing a wide range of climates. For the majority of the data gathered in aridec, it is possible to fit models of litter decomposition that consider initial organic matter as a homogenous reservoir (one pool models), as well as models with two distinct types of organic compounds that decompose at different speeds (two pool models). Moreover, these two carbon pools can either decompose without interaction (parallel models) or with matter transfer from a labile pool to a slowly decomposing pool after transformation (series models). Although most entries in the database can be used to fit these models, we suggest that potential users of this database test identifiability for each individual case as well as the number of degrees of freedom. Other model applications that are not discussed in this publication might also be suitable for use with this database. Lastly, we give some recommendations for future decomposition studies to be potentially added to this database. The extent of the information included in aridec in addition to its open-science approach makes it a great platform for future collaborative efforts in the field of aridland biogeochemistry. The aridec version 1.0.2 is archived and publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6600345 (Sarquis et al., 2022), and the database is managed under a version-controlled system and centrally stored in GitHub (https://github.com/AgustinSarquis/aridec, last access: 31 May 2022).

Geographic distribution, diversity and conservation status of giant millipedes in southern Cameroon rainforest

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Biogas production from cow dung using laboratory scale digester as potential tool for abattoir waste management

The main challenge of the present world is to harness energy source which is environment friendly and ecologically balanced because the use of fossil fuels has led to global climate change, environmental degradation, and human health problems. This has forced the world to search for another alternate energy source, such as biogas. Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Cow dung as a renewable source of energy supply has been proven to be very efficient. This work is focused on production of biogas using cow dung as a means of abattoir waste management. A laboratory scale digester was constructed using three 750ml capacity plastic water bottles with slurry concentration of 1500g cow dung per 3000cm3 distilled water over a retention time of three weeks. The biogas production started on the fourth day of fermentation and followed an increasing trend. Reaching its peak on the seventeenth day before a gradual fall in production rate. The average weekly production of biogas are; day1-7 (17.33cm3), day 8-14 (99.00cm3), day 15-21(172.33cm3). The result obtained from this study also indicates that Bacillus species were the most common bacteria isolated

Fluid flow and water/rock interaction during the Early Triassic evolution of the western Canada sedimentary basin as revealed by carbonate diagenesis

Diagenetic evolution of sedimentary basins, which is crucial to resource exploration and development, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), is mainly controlled by fluid influx associated with the regional tectonic and hydrogeologic setting of these basins. Therefore, petrographic and isotope geochemical studies integrated with geodynamics of sedimentary basins, fluid flow and transport hydrodynamics are insightful tools to reconstruct the regional history of paleofluid flow and their driving mechanisms. This study investigates carbonate diagenesis in the Lower Triassic Montney Formation of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) to constrain the origin of diagenetic fluids, their major flow systems, and their association with the tectonics and hydrogeology of the WCSB. Petrographic analysis shows various generations of early-to late-stage non-ferroan to ferroan calcite (C1–C3) and dolomite (D1-D4) cement. Bulk δ13C and δ18O values of carbonate cements range from −7.1 to +0.4‰ and −9.5 to −2.8‰ (VPDB), respectively, noticeably more depleted than those estimated for Early Triassic seawater. Their 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio, 0.7108 to 0.7128, is significantly more radiogenic than Early Triassic seawater. These isotopic values confirm the extensive interaction of the Montney Formation pore water with hot basinal brines of Precambrian metasediments and siliciclastic strata, the influx of hydrothermal fluids, and high burial temperature in the basin. The 13C-depleted signature of these cements supports the contribution of organic carbon, from the breakdown and oxidation of organic matter and hydrocarbons via microbial and thermochemical sulfate reduction processes. The results of this study suggest that Montney Formation diagenesis was influenced by evolved Montney pore water interacting with fluids sourced from metasediments of the Cordillera thrust belt and topography-driven fluids from Columbian and Laramide tectonism. This study highlights the importance of an integrated approach to better understand changes in fluid compositions during diagenesis and reconstruction of basin-scale paleofluid flow systems in sedimentary basins.

Investigation of the optimum conditions for electricity generation by haloalkaliphilic archaeon Natrialba sp. GHMN55 using the Plackett–Burman design: single and stacked MFCs

The production of bioelectricity via the anaerobic oxidation of organic matter by microorganisms is recently receiving much interest and is considered one of the future alternative technologies. In this study, we aimed to produce electrical current by using facultative halophilic archaeon Natrialba sp. GHMN55 as a biocatalyst at the anode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to generate electrons from the anaerobic breakdown of organic matter to produce electrical current. Since the MFC’s performance can be affected by many factors, the Plackett–Burman experimental design was applied to optimize the interaction between these factors when tested together and to identify the most significant factors that influence bioelectricity generation. We found that the factors that significantly affected electrical current generation were casein, inoculum age, magnet-bounded electrodes, NaCl, resistor value, and inoculum size; however, the existence of a mediator and the pH showed negative effects on bioelectricity production, where the maximum value of the 200 mV voltage was achieved after 48 h. The optimum medium formulation obtained using this design led to a decrease in the time required to produce bioelectricity from 20 days (in the basal medium) to 2 days (in the optimized medium). Also, the overall behavior of the cell could be enhanced by using multiple stacked MFCs with different electrical configurations (such as series or parallel chambers) to obtain higher voltages or power densities than the single chambers where the series chambers were recorded at 27.5 mV after 48 h of incubation compared with 12.6 mV and 1.1 mV for parallel and single chambers, respectively. These results indicate that the order of preferred MFC designs regarding total power densities would be series > parallel > single.

Effects and microbial mechanisms of phosphogypsum and medical stone on organic matter degradation and methane emissions during swine manure composting

The degradation of organic matter (OM) and CH4 emissions during composting greatly influence the composting efficiency and greenhouse effect. This study evaluated the effects of adding phosphogypsum (PPG) and medical stone (MS) on OM breakdown, CH4 emissions, and their underlying mechanisms. MS accelerated the breakdown of OM in the early composting stage, whereas PPG increased it in the cooling and maturation periods. At the ending of composting, humification was also significantly promoted by PPG and MS (P < 0.05). Moreover, MS and PPG reduced CH4 emissions by 27.64% and 23.12%, respectively, and significantly inhibited the activities of methanogens in terms of their abundance (mcrA) and composition (dominant genera such as Methanobrevibacter, Methanocorpusculum, and Methanothermus) (P < 0.05). Interestingly, MS enhanced the activity of enzymes and bacterial metabolism related to OM degradation in the early composting stage, whereas PPG promoted them during the cooling and maturity stages. MS and PPG inhibited the activities of enzymes related to CH4 release during the cooling and maturity stages. Therefore, PPG and MS may have influenced OM degradation and CH4 releases during composting via changes in bacterial metabolism and enzyme activity levels. PPG and MS could have altered the activities of methanogens to influence the transformation of carbon and CH4 emissions according to network analysis and partial least-squares path modeling analysis. These findings provide insights at the molecular level into the effects of adding PPG and MS on OM degradation and CH4 emissions during composting, thereby facilitating the application of PPG and MS in composting systems.

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION ON THE POTENTIALS OF SHEEP RUMEN CONTENTS FOR BIOGAS GENERATION

Biogas refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. It is as a clean biofuel produced by microorganism during anaerobic digestion of organic matter. The study was carried out to determine the potentials of sheep rumen contents for biogas production through anaerobic digestion. Proximate analysis was carried out on the substrate. The results shows that nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus have 0.58 ± 0.02 (mg/ml), 425 ± 5.00 (mg/ml), and 2.57 ± 0.03 (mg/ml) respectively. After proximate analysis, four (4) local digesters with capacity of 500g tins were designed and used for the collection of gas via passage pipe systems. The digesters were used to digest the slurry (mixture of Sheep rumen content and water) which were mixed in the ratio of 2:1 for a period of eight weeks (56 days) retention time until the biogas reduced significantly. The pH values of the slurries were adjusted to neutral. The digesters were stirred thrice daily to avoid scum formation in the digesters and allow for easy escape of gas produced. The total average yield of the gas produced were 820 cm3, 1070 cm3, 780 cm3, and 660 cm3 for D1, D2, D3, and D4 respectively. Isolation of Microorganisms were caried during the production where B. subtilis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus were found. Biogas production from organic wastes which is an eco-friendly, which helps to solve most countries energy crisis.

Experimental Evaluation of Industrial Mushroom Waste Substrate Using Hybrid Mechanism of Vermicomposting and Effective Microorganisms.

Mushroom waste substrates are highly resistant lignocellulosic wastes that are commercially produced by industries after harvesting. These wastes produce large environmental challenges regarding disposal and, thus, require treatment facilities. In the present article, the effect of Eisenia-fetida-based vermicomposting and an effective microorganism solution on the mushroom waste substrate were investigated using four different composting mixtures: mushroom waste [MW] substrate composting with effective microorganisms [MW+EM], raw mushroom waste [RWM] substrate composting with effective microorganisms [RMW+EM], mushroom waste substrate composting with vermicomposting and effective microorganisms [MW+V+EM], and raw mushroom waste substrate composting with vermicomposting and effective microorganisms [RWM+V+EM]. This article discusses the structural and physiochemical changes at four samples for 45 days (almost six weeks) of composting. The physical and chemical parameters were monitored during composting and provided information on the duration of the process. The results indicated pH (7.2~8), NPK value (0.9~1.8), and C:N ratio <14, and heavy metals exhibited a decreasing trend in later stages for all sets of compost materials and showed the maturity level. FTIR spectra revealed that all four samples included peaks for the -OH (hydroxy group) ranging from 3780 to 3500 cm−1 and a ridge indicating the C=C (alkenyl bond) ranging from 1650 to 1620 cm−1 in compost. The X-ray diffraction spectrum clearly shows how earthworms and microbes break down molecules into cellulose compounds, and the average crystallinity size using Scherrer’s equation was found to be between 69.82 and 93.13 nm. Based on the experimental analysis, [RWM+V+EM] accelerated the breakdown of organic matter and showed improvement compared with other composts in compostable materials, thus, emphasizing the critical nature of long-term mushroom waste management and treatment.