title: The effects of aeration rate on generated compost quality, using aerated static pile method.
abstract: To determine the most appropriate composting process in an active municipal solid waste system, an experiment was carried out using a nested design method with three aeration rates. During each aeration rate, parameters such as temperature, pH, EC, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, NO(3)-N, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous were measured and the efficiency of different composting processes was evaluated. The result of this study showed that the lower and medium aeration rates had a significant impact on nitrogen, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and temperature profile, while higher aeration rates led to higher EC values. Furthermore, the thermophilic phase lasted 13, 9 and 4 weeks for the aeration rates of 0.4, 0.6 and 0.9 L min(-1)kg(-1), respectively. Accordingly, it was concluded that starting at a rate of 0.6 L min(-1)kg(-1) during first 2 months (about 9 weeks) of the process and continuing at a rate of 0.4 L min(-1)kg(-1)until the end of composting process would result in lower energy consumption.
authors.affiliation: Organization of Waste Recycling and Compost (OWRC), #52, 6th Avenue, Andisheh Street, Beheshti Street, Tehran, Iran. mazdak_rasapoor@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rasapoor
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nasrabadi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamali
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoveidi
mesh_terms: D010100:Oxygen; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D012987:Soil / Q000592:standards*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D010100:Oxygen