title: Soil bioassays as tools for sludge compost quality assessment.
abstract: Composting is a waste management technology that is becoming more widespread as a response to the increasing production of sewage sludge and the pressure for its reuse in soil. In this study, different bioassays (plant germination, earthworm survival, biomass and reproduction, and collembolan survival and reproduction) were assessed for their usefulness in the compost quality assessment. Compost samples, from two different composting plants, were taken along the composting process, which were characterized and submitted to bioassays (plant germination and collembolan and earthworm performance). Results from our study indicate that the noxious effects of some of the compost samples observed in bioassays are related to the low organic matter stability of composts and the enhanced release of decomposition endproducts, with the exception of earthworms, which are favored. Plant germination and collembolan reproduction inhibition was generally associated with uncomposted sludge, while earthworm total biomass and reproduction were enhanced by these materials. On the other hand, earthworm and collembolan survival were unaffected by the degree of composting of the wastes. However, this pattern was clear in one of the composting procedures assessed, but less in the other, where the release of decomposition endproducts was lower due to its higher stability, indicating the sensitivity and usefulness of bioassays for the quality assessment of composts.
authors.affiliation: Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Facultat de Ciències i Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain. x.domene@creaf.uab.es
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Domene
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Solà
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alcañiz
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andrés
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D018525:Germination / Q000502:physiology; D007313:Insecta / Q000254:growth & development; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000502:physiology; D063245:Plant Development; D011786:Quality Control; D012987:Soil / Q000592:standards*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil