title: Characterization of natural organic matter (NOM) derived from sewage sludge compost. Part 2: multivariate techniques in the study of compost maturation.
abstract: This study presents the results of chemometric data analysis which describes the maturation of sewage sludge compost. The compost was characterized at different stages of maturation by various chemical and spectroscopic parameters including carbon and nitrogen content, humic substances content, UV-Vis and 13C NMR. The data set of compost characteristics was analyzed using multivariate methods: cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA). The results enabled the determination of three groups of compost samples at different stages of maturation that correspond to three stages of composting: (i) domination of rapid decomposition of non-humic, easily biodegradable organic matter, (ii) domination of organic matter humification and formation of polycondensed, humic-like substances (the next 2 weeks), (iii) stabilization of transformed organic material and weak microbial activity. The multivariate techniques also enabled the identification of main parameters that change during different stages of composting the most.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Chemistry and Ecoanalytics, Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 7 Gagarin Str., 87-100 Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: Radosław
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zbytniewski
authors.forename: Boguslaw
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buszewski
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006812:Humic Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006812:Humic Substances; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil