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Co-composting of green waste and food waste at low C/N ratio

2010; Elsevier BV; Volume: 30; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.wasman.2009.11.023

1879-2456

Mathava Kumar, Yan-Liang Ou, Jih‐Gaw Lin,

Waste Management and Recycling

In this study, co-composting of food waste and green waste at low initial carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratios was investigated using an in-vessel lab-scale composting reactor. The central composite design (CCD) and response surface method (RSM) were applied to obtain the optimal operating conditions over a range of preselected moisture contents (45–75%) and C/N ratios (13.9–19.6). The results indicate that the optimal moisture content for co-composting of food waste and green waste is 60%, and the substrate at a C/N ratio of 19.6 can be decomposed effectively to reduce 33% of total volatile solids (TVS) in 12 days. The TVS reduction can be modeled by using a second-order equation with a good fit. In addition, the compost passes the standard germination index of white radish seed indicating that it can be used as soil amendment.