title: Evaluation of laboratory-scale in-vessel co-composting of tobacco and apple waste.
abstract: Efficient composting process requires set of adequate parameters among which physical-chemical properties of the composting substrate play the key-role. Combining different types of biodegradable solid waste it is possible to obtain a substrate eligible to microorganisms in the composting process. In this work the composting of apple and tobacco solid waste mixture (1:7, dry weight) was explored. The aim of the work was to investigate an efficiency of biodegradation of the given mixture and to characterize incurred raw compost. Composting was conducted in 24 L thermally insulated column reactor at airflow rate of 1.1 L min(-1). During 22 days several parameters were closely monitored: temperature and mass of the substrate, volatile solids content, C/N ratio and pH-value of the mixture and oxygen consumption. The composting of the apple and tobacco waste resulted with high degradation of the volatile solids (53.1%). During the experiment 1.76 kg of oxygen was consumed and the C/N ratio of the product was 11.6. The obtained temperature curve was almost a "mirror image" of the oxygen concentration curve while the peak values of the temperature were occurred 9.5h after the peak oxygen consumption.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: nkopcic@fkit.hr.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kopčić
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vuković Domanovac
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Dajana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kučić
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Felicita
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Briški
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D027845:Malus / Q000737:chemistry*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000737:chemistry*; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014866:Waste Products; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Apple waste; Co-composting; Oxygen; Process modelling; Temperature; Tobacco waste