Pilot-Scale Bio-Augmented Aerobic Composting of Excavated Foot-And-Mouth Disease Carcasses

Seonghoon Kim, Hyeji Kwon, Suchan Park, Haeseong Jeon, Joon-kyu Park and Joonhong Park
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Seonghoon Kim: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Hyeji Kwon: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Suchan Park: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Haeseong Jeon: Dasan Consultants R&D center, Seoul 05800, Korea
Joon-kyu Park: Dasan Consultants R&D center, Seoul 05800, Korea
Joonhong Park: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: In the present work, we tested the validity of using novel, bio-augmented, aerobic composting with carcass-degrading microorganisms for the ex situ stabilization of carcasses at pilot scale with previously poorly decomposed carcasses excavated from a 3-year old burial site. The significantly decreased chemical oxygen demand (COD, 160,000 mg/kg to 40,000 mg/kg) and inorganic nitrogen species (total nitrogen, 5000 mg/kg to 2000 mg/kg) indicated effective bio-stabilization of carcasses by bio-augmented composting. The subsequent germination assays and the quantitative characterization of potentially pathogenic bacteria using NGS (next-generation sequencing) showed that the burial–composting sequential system with the carcass-degrading microorganisms and mechanical agitation successfully reduced plant toxicity as well as microbial risk to human health, suggesting that the composting by-product is suitable for farming or/and landfill use(s).

Keywords: bacterial pathogens; bio-augmented aerobic composting; carcass-degrading microorganisms; early stabilization; plant toxicity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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