Centralized management of sewage sludge and agro-industrial waste through co-composting.
In this research study, the co-composting process of a waste mixture containing strawberry extrudate, fish waste, sewage sludge and bulking agent (SEFW, 190:1:22:90 ratio) was carried out in a dynamic-solid respirometer at pilot scale. The aerobic biodegradability of the mixture was previously ensured in a static-liquid respirometer. The advantages and drawbacks of the SEFW co-composting process were subsequently identified through the determination of respirometric activity and the physical-chemical characterization of the waste, as well as the monitoring of odor emissions. The evolution of the physical-chemical variables showed that pH increased slightly and that the organic matter concentration, expressed as volatile solids (VS, %) or oxidable organic carbon (COXC, %), decreased by around 15% in both cases and by approximately 56% in its biodegradable form (total organic carbon, TOC, %). The low odor emission rate (OER) in the least favorable scenario (the maximum odor generation) during SEFW composting was 1.59 ouE/s, whereas this figure reached 3.52 ouE/s when only the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) was composted. Consequently, the co-composting of SEFW is more favorable in terms of odor emission and permits the simultaneous treatment of different types of waste.
Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Cordoba, Campus Universitario de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie (C-3), Ctra. N-IV, km 396, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
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Gutiérrez
Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Cordoba, Campus Universitario de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie (C-3), Ctra. N-IV, km 396, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
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Serrano
Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Cordoba, Campus Universitario de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie (C-3), Ctra. N-IV, km 396, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
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Siles
Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Cordoba, Campus Universitario de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie (C-3), Ctra. N-IV, km 396, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
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Chica
Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Cordoba, Campus Universitario de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie (C-3), Ctra. N-IV, km 396, 14071 Cordoba, Spain. Electronic address: iq2masam@uco.es.
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Martín
D002244:Carbon; D007220:Industrial Waste; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D062611:Solid Waste; D013696:Temperature; D018505:Waste Management
D007220:Industrial Waste; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D062611:Solid Waste; D002244:Carbon
Biodegradability; Co-composting; Dynamic olfactometry; Odor emission rate; Respirometric index