Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2013
Effects of pH and microbial composition on odour in food waste composting
Sundberg, Cecilia; Yu, D; Franke-Whittle, Ingrid H.; Kauppi, Sari; Smårs, Sven; Insam, Heribert; Romantschuk, Martin; Jönsson, HåkanAbstract
A major problem for composting plants is odour emission. Slow decomposition during prolonged low-pH conditions is a frequent process problem in food waste composting. The aim was to investigate correlations between low pH, odour and microbial composition during food waste composting. Samples from laboratory composting experiments and two large scale composting plants were analysed for odour by olfactometry, as well as physico-chemical and microbial composition. There was large variation in odour, and samples clustered in two groups, one with low odour and high pH (above 6.5), the other with high odour and low pH (below 6.0). The low-odour samples were significantly drier, had lower nitrate and TVOC concentrations and no detectable organic acids. Samples of both groups were dominated by Bacill-ales or Actinobacteria, organisms which are often indicative of well-functioning composting processes, but the high-odour group DNA sequences were similar to those of anaerobic or facultatively anaerobic species, not to typical thermophilic composting species. High-odour samples also contained Lactobacteria and Clostridia, known to produce odorous substances. A proposed odour reduction strategy is to rapidly overcome the low pH phase, through high initial aeration rates and the use of additives such as recycled compost. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Keywords
Lactic acid bacteria; Olfactometry; Microarray; Organic acidsPublished in
Waste Management2013, volume: 33, number: 1, pages: 204-211
Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Authors' information
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Energy and Technology
Yu, D
Franke-Whittle, Ingrid H.
Kauppi, Sari
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Energy and Technology
Insam, Heribert
Romantschuk, Martin
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Energy and Technology
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
UKÄ Subject classification
Other Environmental Biotechnology
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.09.017
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/39817