Influence of Forced Aeration and Season on Food Waste Composting: Organic Compound Degradation and Compost Quality

TL;DR

This study examines how aeration and seasonal changes affect composting of food waste, showing that both methods help recycle waste effectively.

Contribution

The study reveals seasonal variations in composting efficiency with or without forced aeration.

Findings

Forced aeration in summer improved degradation of organic compounds and compost quality.

Winter composting without aeration still achieved significant nutrient release and humic acid formation.

Seasonal differences influenced the effectiveness of composting processes.

Abstract

Food waste composting is essential for improving its
sustainable
management, providing effective solutions for its recycling, and mitigating
the environmental impacts of improper disposal. This study aimed to
investigate the need for forced aeration in static piles during the
composting of food waste, both in winter and in summer. Samples were
collected on days 50, 70, and 90 of composting to analyze the degradation
of organic constituents and the quality of the final compost. In the
summer, aeration favored the degradation of ether extract (EE) at
50 days (78.2%) and nitrogen (N) at 70 days (86.1%) and promoted the
greatest reduction of total solids (TS, 73.9%), carbon (C, 75.1%),
N (70.2%), and EE (97.4%) by the end of the composting process. In
winter, although aeration promoted degradation at 50 days (TS, N,
and EE) and 70 days (N, EE), reductions at 90 days were more pronounced
for TS (73.3%) and C (75.9%) in nonaerated windrows or similar for
N (70.1%) and EE (96.0%). Composting was more efficient in nutrient
release and formation of humic acid during the summer. Thus, we can
conclude that food waste composting, with or without aeration, effectively
recycles organic waste, promoting degradation and nutrient-rich compost
production, with seasonal variations influencing the process.

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