Municipal Solid Waste Compost Treatments Research Articles

Municipal solid waste compost use can improve crop barley production and enhance soil chemical fertility

The study aims to point out the effect of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) and traditional mineral fertilizers use, on rainfed forage barley herbage and grain production, nutritive value, and on soil chemical characteristics. During a three-year field trial, the MSWC treatments were COM1, 20 Mg ha−1 (DM) applied each year; COM2, 20 Mg ha−1 applied only the first year. The mineral fertilization was MIN50 (50 kg ha−1 of N + 46 kg ha−1 of P2O5), and MIN100 (100 kg ha−1 of N + 92 kg ha−1 of P2O5), applied each year. Fertilization treatments were compared with unfertilized control (COM0 and MIN0). Two years out of three COM1 showed a significant higher barley herbage dry matter (HDM) production and CP, when compared to COM0. COM1 in one year increased grain yield (YLD) whereas increased CP all years and decreased starch grain content two years out of three. MSWC strongly increased levels of sodium (Na) in herbage and grain. Mineral fertilizers levels significantly increased HDM production and YLD and their CP content compared to MIN0. Moreover, it lightly decreased herbage NDF, ADF, WSC and Total phenols content, raising in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). In soil, after three years of fertilization, COM1 increased SOC (Soil Organic Carbon), Total N, available P, exchangeable K and Mg content, but also exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and electrical conductivity (EC), showing higher values than COM2 and COM0. Mineral fertilization influenced only the available P soil level, increasing the content compared to MIN0. This paper pointed out that mineral fertilizers had clear short-term effects on the barley growth, yield, and nutritional value, but did not contribute to soil long-term fertility improvement. MSWC increased barley growth and yield reaching similar values obtained with mineral fertilizers. Above all, MSWC showed capability to improve soil fertility mainly in terms of organic matter and macronutrients and its use is consistent with the recent EU regulation on organic fertilizer productions (2018/84) that aims to “maintaining the long-term fertility of soils”.

Effect of Municipal Solid Waste Compost Treatment on Physico-Chemical Properties of Garden Soil

In the present study amendment of three types of compost made from lemon peels (LP), vegetable waste (VW), and cooked food waste (CF) in garden soil was carried out. It was observed that pH in all the treatments increased from control with a maximum in LP with 22% and a minimum in CF with 10% at 270 days. The soil temperature was higher than control with a maximum increase of 52% in CF and a minimum of 20% in VW at 90 days. A maximum increase of OC has been observed in CF compost-treated soil with 106% followed by LP with 64% and 24% in VW at 90 days.TN increased from control up to 90 days with 484, 100, and 46% rise in CF, VW, and LP respectively. AP and AK also showed a very high increase rate with a maximum of 551% in CF and 703% in LP respectively.

Improvement of Soil Quality Parameters by Municipal Solid Waste Compost Application in Clay-Loam Soil

Organic matter (OM) content of the soils should be improved for sustainable productions. Municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) is an organic material used in several countries to improve soil OM contents. This study was conducted to determine potential use of MSWC as soil amendment. Field experiments were conducted for two years with single MSWC treatments. Experiments were conducted on 18 plots in randomized complete blocks design with 3 replications. Six different MSWC doses (0, 40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 t ha-1) were applied to experimental plots. Compost doses were calculated in dry weight basis, applied to 21 m2 plots and sunflower was sown as the experimental plant of the study. Following the sunflower harvest, disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were taken from the experimental plots and soil samples were subjected to various analyses. Applied MSWC doses significantly increased soil OM contents, electrical conductivity (EC) and cation exchange capacity (CEC), aggregate stability (AS) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and reduced soil bulk density (BD). Effects of MSWC on soil pH were not found to be significant. Effects of MSWC treatments were more remarkable with increasing doses. MSWC treatments increased soil OM contents about 3 folds and increased CEC by about 25%. MSWC treatments significantly increased salt contents of the soils. Such increases were found to be significant at 1% level in the first year and 5% level in the second year. Increasing OM contents also increase soil aggregation, thus reduced bulk density and increased hydraulic conductivity. Correlation analysis revealed significant correlations between OM and AS. Present findings revealed that MSWC positively influenced physical and chemical characteristics of clay-loam soils of arid and arid climates, but salt contents should carefully be monitored in repetitive uses.

The quantity/intensity relation is affected by chemical and organic P fertilization in calcareous soils

The use of organic fertilization increases the availability of phosphorus (P) in calcareous soils by affecting the colloidal properties of soils. Accordingly, it was hypothesized that chemical and organic fertilizers affect P availability in calcareous soils by influencing P sorption and buffering capacity. The objective was to investigate the quantity/intensity (Q/I) relation in calcareous soils as affected by chemical and organic P fertilization. Three different soil types with different Olsen-P values including Qazvin1 (very low P, VLP), Qazvin2 (low P, LP) and Dizan (medium P, MP) were fertilized with 50 mg P kg−1 soil using triple superphosphate (TSP), sheep manure (SM), and municipal solid waste compost (MSWC). The treated experimental soils were incubated for 90 days, and P sorption and buffering capacity indexes were determined using calcium chloride solutions in a range of 0–100 mg P L−1. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) response to the experimental treatments. Wheat P content at tillering (60 days after planting) was determined. The SM and TSP treatments were the most efficient sources of P for plant use in the greenhouse, as they resulted in the highest wheat growth and P content. The incubation data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and surface sorption isotherm models. Langmuir model, as the best fitted one, indicated the highest P sorption (A) was resulted by the SM treatment for VLP and LP soils, compared to the other treatments. According to the model, the SM and MSWC treatments resulted in the least (0.04) and the highest (1.11) sorption energy (K) by the VLP soil, respectively. In the VLP soil the SM and MSWC treatments, and in the LP soil the MSWC treatment decreased P sorption, at the final concentration of P (100 mg L−1), compared to the control treatment. Organic fertilizers decreased buffering index, phosphorous buffering capacity, and K1 indexes in the VLP soil, compared to the control treatment. The corresponding reductions for SM were equal to 35.99, 2.7, 1.19 mL P g−1 and for MSWC were equal to 12.33, 36.2 and 1.19 mL P g−1. In the VLP and MP soils, (compared with control), the SM treatment decreased the rates of maximum buffering capacity at 0.38 and 0.52 mL P g−1, respectively. There were high and significant correlations among the soil P buffering indexes with soil and wheat P content. Fertilization affected soil P availability by affecting the Q/I relation and the buffering capacity indexes. It is possible to predict plant response to available P using the tested fitting models.

Opposite effects of two organic wastes on the physical quality of an agricultural soil

Soil application of organic wastes (OWs) can be beneficial for soil quality, depending on the quality of the wastes as well as on the amended soil. We performed a field experiment comparing the effects of two different OWs, an industrial sewage sludge (ISS) and a municipal solid waste compost (MSWC), on the physical, chemical and biological quality of an agricultural soil cultivated with maize in central Iran. The two OWs were mixed into the topsoil of the plots at rates of 15 and 45 t ha−1 (dry matter). The analysis of soil samples taken 31, 74, 132 and 241 days after OW application showed both OW increased organic matter, microbial respiration, and urease activity and decreased bulk density. In contrast, they had opposite effects on water retention and saturated hydraulic conductivity. While the MSWC increased water retention at high saturation and saturated hydraulic conductivity, the ISS decreased them. The negative effects of the ISS on physical soil quality, which may have been due to pore-clogging and hydrophobicity effects, were related to a smaller yield increase in the ISS than in the MSWC treatments, demonstrating the importance that physical OW properties can have for the quality of amended soil.

Application of high doses of organic amendments in a Mediterranean agricultural soil: An approach for assessing the risk of groundwater contamination

Groundwater contamination by nitrate is one of the several environmental problems that may be caused by the application of organic amendments to agricultural soils, and is a key issue in the European Union's environmental policy. The use of predictive tools such as flow and transport models for soluble forms could be helpful for preventing the risk of contamination after the application of organic amendments. We investigated the dynamics of leachable inorganic nitrogen forms (NH4+-N and NO3−-N) produced by a single high-dose application of three different organic amendments (a municipal solid waste compost (MSWC), and aerobically (AES) and anaerobically (ANS) digested sewage sludge) in an agricultural soil over a two-year period and how solutes migrate through the vadose zone under a Mediterranean climate. Although the mineralization process was determined by the type of amendment, seasonal variations led to the release and transformation of leachable inorganic nitrogen forms. Sewage sludge (AES and ANS) treatments provide a higher proportion of soluble nitrogen forms than MSWC treatment, which produces a more stable organic matter. Under our field conditions, pollutants can accumulate in the vadose zone, constituting a time bomb which may lead to aquifer contamination further down the line. Hence an increase in water input would accelerate the migration of pollutants and increase the risk of groundwater contamination.

Waste Biomass-Extracted Surfactants for Heavy Oil Removal

The potential synergism between biobased surfactants, produced from the alkaline extraction of waste biomass, and a synthetic surfactant was assessed. This synergism was explored in terms of surface and interfacial tension reduction, and the ability of mixtures to remove heavy oil from oil-bearing sand. The waste biomass sources investigated were return activated sludge (RAS) from municipal wastewater from Toronto, Canada, and urban refuse (UR) matter from municipal solid waste compost treatment facilities in Piemonte, Italy. Surfactants from both sources were extracted using alkaline extraction methods. Mixtures of these waste biobased surfactants with the synthetic surfactant, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate (AOT), at a total concentration of 1gTOC/L, were able to achieve low interfacial tensions (<1 mN/m) with toluene and hexane, without the addition of electrolytes. The mixtures generally achieved interfacial tensions (IFTs) an order of magnitude below that of the pure biobased surfactant. At an increased total concentration of 10 gTOC/L, an UR extract (FORSUD), mixed at 40% with AOT, reached an ultralow IFT of 0.019 mN/m against hexane, without the need to add salt into the system. Furthermore, the RAS–AOT and UR–AOT mixtures were examined for their use in the removal of heavy oil, bitumen, from contaminated sand. The low IFTs of the mixtures proved to be useful in removing heavy oil (bitumen) from sand particles.

THE EFFECTS OF MSW COMPOST APPLICATIONS ON THE YIELD AND HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION IN POTATO PLANT (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.)

ISHS International Symposium on Vegetable Production, Quality and Process Standardization in Chain: a Worldwide Perspective THE EFFECTS OF MSW COMPOST APPLICATIONS ON THE YIELD AND HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION IN POTATO PLANT (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.)

Effects of Nutrient Amendments and Temperature on the Biodegradation of Pentachlorophenol Contaminated Soil

The effect of selected nutrient amendments and temperature on the biodegradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) within a soil biopile was studied on a laboratory scale. This was accomplished by monitoring microbial populations, the concentration of PCP and the release of inorganic chloride ions in the contaminated soil. It was found that temperatures of 10, 15 and 20 °C had no significant effect on microbial populations and the percentage of PCP remaining in the soil. However, the nutrient amendments did have a significant effect on the parameters measured. The dairy manure, ammonium nitrate fertilizer and control treatments all experienced some fluctuations in the amount of PCP remaining in the soil over the incubation period and may have been due to the release of initially unextractable bound residues. PCP decreased by 76% in the municipal solid waste compost amended soil, while the concentration of inorganic chloride ions increased. The municipal solid waste compost treatment had significantly higher bacterial and fungal populations. Based on the results of this study municipal solid waste compost may be used as an effective supplemental nutrient amendment for the degradation of PCP in soil biopiles.

Biodegradation of α and β Endosulfan in Soil as Influenced by Application of Different Organic Materials

A laboratory pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of amending soil with four different sources of organic matter on the degradation rate of α and β endosulfan isomers. Poultry by-product meal, poultry manure, dairy manure, and municipal solid waste compost were cured, dried, ground (<1 mm) and thoroughly mixed with a calcareous soil at a rate of 2% and placed in plastic pots. Endosulfan was added at the rate of 20 mg kg−1. The moisture level was kept near field capacity and the pots were kept at room temperature. Soil sub-samples, 100 g each, were collected from every pot at days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 43, and 57 for the measurement of endosulfan isomers. Endosulfan residues were extracted from the soil samples with acetone. The supernatant was filtered through anhydrous sodium sulphate, 5 mL aliquot was diluted to 25 mL with hexane, mixed well, and then two sub-samples from the filtrates were analyzed for α and β endosulfan isomers by gas chromatography. The results indicated that the half-life (T ½) of α-endosulfan in the poultry by-product meal treatment was 15 days compared to about 22 days in the other treatments. The T ½ of β-endosulfan was 22 days in the poultry by-product meal treatment and followed a bi-phasic pattern, 57 days in the municipal solid waste compost treatment and the extrapolated T ½ was about 115 days for the other three treatments.

Nitrogen management considerations for landspreading municipal solid waste compost.

Many municipalities have examined composting as an alternative to landfilling for the management of organic solid waste materials. Ultimately these materials will be land-applied and therefore some knowledge of nutrient availability will be necessary to optimize crop yield and minimize environmental risk. Field studies were conducted in 1993 and 1994 on a silt loam and a loamy sand soil in Wisconsin to determine the effect of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) on corn (Zea mays L.) yield, plant nutrient concentration, and soil nitrate N content. Municipal solid waste composts with ages of 7, 36, and 270 d were applied at rates of 22.5, 45, and 90 Mg ha(-1) to small plots. Rates of commercial nitrogen (N) fertilizer, ranging from 0 to 179 kg N ha(-1), were applied to separate plots to determine the N availability from the MSWC. Treatments were applied in the spring and incorporated before planting corn. The 270-d MSWC increased corn whole-plant dry matter and grain yield at each location in both years above the 7- and 36-d MSWC. Rate of MSWC only affected grain yield at the loamy sand site in 1994. Municipal solid waste compost had minimal effect on the levels of plant nutrients in the whole-plant tissue measured at physiological maturity. Nitrate N measured in the top 90 cm of soil was higher throughout the growing season in treatments receiving recommended N fertilizer when compared with any of the MSWC treatments. It was estimated that 6 to 17% of the total N in the 270-d MSWC became available in the first year. The land-application of mature MSWC at the tested rates would be an agronomically and environmentally admissible practice.

Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Nickel and Zinc Concentrations In Tomato and Squash Grown In MSW Compost-amended Calcareous Soil

Vegetables grown in compost containing cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc in low concentrations should be safe for human consumption unless the crop acts as a bioaccumulator. The effects of amending soil with compost products made from municipal solid waste (MSW) on cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc concentrations in tomato and squash were investigated. For each crop, three inorganic nitrogen treatments were applied 1) 72, 2) 143, or 221 kg N ha−1 for tomato 1991 and 1992 and 40, 80, or 120 kg N. ha−1 for squash 1991 and 1992. Each fertilizer treatment was subdivided into three MSW compost treatments. For the compost treatments, the following products were incorporated into calcareous limestone soil at rates suggested by the manufacturers: 1) Agrisoil compost, a processed MSW, at 48 t. ha−1, 2) Eweson co-composted MSW and biosolids at 24 t. ha−1, or 3) no MSW compost. The experimental design, strip-split plot with four replications was conducted in 1991 and repeated in 1992. Compost treatments were applied annually prior to tomato transplanting in the winter. After the tomato crop was harvested, squash was grown on the same plots with no further addition of compost. Soil amended with Agrisoil had the highest concentration of Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn in tomato and squash, except for Cd in squash 1992 and Cu in tomato and squash 1992, as compared with the control. Although extractable metals in the soil increased with higher loading rates, there was no significant changes in fruit concentrations due to compost treatments. Therefore, neither tomato nor squash acted as metal bioaccumulators. Use of these compost sources at the manufacturers recommended rates should be suitable for producing vegetables for human consumption.