Evaluation of commercial compost quality.
Ten commercial composts were evaluated on the basis of chemical, physical and biological characteristics and compared with a compost produced by a safe matrix in controlled conditions. FT-IR spectra, (13)C CP-MAS NMR spectra and molecular weights were also assayed on humic acids extracted from the composts. The results show that the origin of the starting materials affects the quality of the end products especially for their heavy metal content and genotoxic effect. The presence of a high percentage of low molecular weight fractions generally recorded in the humic acids from commercial composts could be due to uncorrected composting process. FT-IR and (13)C CP-MAS NMR spectra agree with functional group assignments, characterising the level of humification. The results show that commercial composts can display harmful properties probably due to the origin of the starting material, therefore a regulation about both compost production and characterisation should be suitable.
Tomati
Umberto
U
Istituto di Biologia Agroambientale e Forestale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Area della Ricerca di Roma, Via Salaria Km 29,300; 00016 Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, Italy.
Belardinelli
Monica
M
Andreu
Monica
M
Galli
Emanuela
E
Capitani
Donatella
D
Proietti
Noemi
N
De Simone
Claudio
C
D004249:DNA Damage; D006812:Humic Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D031306:Vicia
D006812:Humic Substances; D019216:Metals, Heavy