Analysis of the Effectiveness of Green Waste Composting under Hyperbaric Conditions

Jerzy Bieniek, Błażej Gaze, Bernard Knutel, Krzysztof Rać and Sara Góraj
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Jerzy Bieniek: Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Błażej Gaze: Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Bernard Knutel: Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Krzysztof Rać: Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Sara Góraj: Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-363 Wroclaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: Increasing global population growth has a significant impact on waste production. The European Union (EU) focuses on waste recycling, biological treatment, and reuse. In the case of biodegradable waste, a significant problem is the long process of material decomposition so that the product meets the requirements of national regulations and EU directives. The search for a way to accelerate this process is still ongoing. This study presents the composting process of green waste under hyperbaric conditions. Eight experiments, four with air exchange frequency t AE = 4 h and four experiments with t AE = 8 h were established. The experiments were conducted in four variants: 0 (atmospheric pressure) and overpressures 50, 100, and 200 kPa. They were carried out on the same input material characterized by the initial moisture content of 60% and a mass of 2000 g. During the composting of green waste, all parameters of the obtained product (moisture content, pH, loss on ignition (LOI), C:N ratio, nutrient content (P, K), and the respiratory activity of microorganisms (AT 4 )) were also evaluated. The most significant weight loss of the composted material was observed in the variant of an overpressure of 200 kPa (t AE = 4 h). The compost weight in relation to the original material decreased by 23.7%. The highest organic matter removal efficiency was obtained for the overpressure variants of 50 and 100 kPa (t AE = 4 h).

Keywords: composting; green waste; hyperbaric conditions; effectiveness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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