Assessing the efficiency of urban waste biocomposting by analytical pyrolysis (Py–GC/MS)

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 100; no. 3; pp. 1304 - 1309
• Main Authors: González-Vila, F.J., González-Pérez, J.A., Akdi, K., Gómis, M.D., Pérez-Barrera, F., Verdejo, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2009; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Applied sciences; Bio-accelerator; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Bioreactors - microbiology; biotransformation; Cellulose - metabolism; chemical composition; Cities; City refuse compost; composting; Computer Simulation; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Hot Temperature; lignocellulosic wastes; Models, Theoretical; MSW composts; municipal solid waste; organic matter; organic wastes; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Pollution; Pyrolysis; Refuse Disposal - methods; Sewage sludge; sewage treatment; Soil; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Wastes; City refuse compost; Pyrolysis; Bio-accelerator; Sewage sludge; Gas chromatography; Compost; Pyrolytic chromatography; Coupled method; Urban waste; Mass spectrometry
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2008.06.067

Analytical pyrolysis (Py–GC/MS) was used to study complex composting processes. The technique was first validated for reproducibility and finally applied to assess the efficiency of a microbial bio-accelerator product (CBB) in composting organic residues with different composition. Fresh lignocellulosic and urban wastes were treated with CBB and the composting kinetics studied to investigate the transformations undergone in the course of biocomposting. Our findings demonstrate that these changes, as well as the efficiency of CBB, can be monitored through the molecular characterization of the released pyrolysis products. The CBB bacterial product effectively seems to favour composting accelerating the process and shorten composting time. Analytical pyrolysis was informative in assessing to which extent compost transformation reached an acceptable stabilization point. The technique could be also developed into a semi-quantitative tool to monitor changes of main organic matter components (polysaccharides, proteins, lignin, lipids, etc.) as composting proceeds.