title: Influence of lime on struvite formation and nitrogen conservation during food waste composting.
abstract: This study aimed at investigating the feasibility of supplementing lime with struvite salts to reduce ammonia emission and salinity consequently to accelerate the compost maturity. Composting was performed in 20-L bench-scale reactors for 35days using artificial food waste mixed with sawdust at 1.2:1 (w/w dry basis), and Mg and P salts (MgO and K2HPO4, respectively). Nitrogen loss was significantly reduced from 44.3% to 27.4% during composting through struvite formation even with the addition of lime. Lime addition significantly reduced the salinity to less than 4mS/cm with a positive effect on improving compost maturity. Thus addition of both lime and struvite salts synergistically provide advantages to buffer the pH, reduce ammonia emission and salinity, and accelerate food waste composting.
authors.affiliation: Sino-Forest Applied Research Centre for Pearl River Delta Environment and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Sino-Forest Applied Research Centre for Pearl River Delta Environment and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
authors.forename: Ammaiyappan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Selvam
authors.affiliation: Sino-Forest Applied Research Centre for Pearl River Delta Environment and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: jwcwong@hkbu.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Jonathan W C
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005502:Food; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010710:Phosphates; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D000069877:Struvite / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017610:Calcium Compounds; D010087:Oxides; D010710:Phosphates; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D012987:Soil; D000069877:Struvite; C013216:potassium phosphate; C016538:lime; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Composting; Food waste; Lime; Nitrogen; Struvite