In a column experiment with horizontal permeable barriers, the effects of a biodegradable chelator-nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) on the uptake of heavy metals from municipal solid waste (MSW) compost by Festuca arundinacea and metal leaching were investigated. The use of NTA was effective in increasing Cu, Pb, and Zn uptakes in shoots of two crops of F. arundinacea. In columns with barriers and t...

Biological waste gas cleaning is gaining more and more importance for the removal of the volatile organic compounds from air polluted streams. In order to investigate the performance of this technology a biofiltration pilot unit was operated for a continuous period of 14 months. The biofilter was packed with newly developed compost pellets and a mixture of compost and peat. At start-up, the bio...

Three compost formulations, consisting of two varieties of Cynodom dactylon (L.) Pers. (Coast-cross and Tyfton) and oat (Avena sativa) straw were tested for the cultivation of A. bisporus strains ABI-01/01, ABI-04/02, ABI-05/03, and ABI-06/04. A completely randomized experimental design in a factorial scheme was adopted, with 12 treatments (4 A. bisporus strains × 3 types of compost) and 8 repl...

AIMS A microcosm-enrichment approach was used to investigate bacterial populations that may represent 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D)-degrading micro-organisms in compost-amended soil. METHODS AND RESULTS After 8 weeks of incubation, with repeated application of 1,3-D, volatilization fluxes were much lower for compost-amended soil (CM) than with the unamended soils, indicating accelerated degrada...

The release of phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) from swine manure compost and from soils applied with swine manure compost can be accelerated by colloidal particles. This study investigated the concentrations and chemical species of P and Zn in water-dispersible colloids (WDCs) collected from swine manure compost by using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. A filtration and ultrace...

This investigation was carried out at the experimental farm of Medicinal and Aromatic plants Research Department, Horticulture Research, Dokki, Giza during two successive seasons of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011.The research aimed to study the effect of compost rates (2,4and 8 ton/fed) and some biofertilizers (Azotobacter Chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus circulanse) alone or all strains in ...

Legionella longbeachae, found in soil and compost-derived products, is a globally underdiagnosed cause of Legionnaires' disease. We conducted a case-control study of L. longbeachae Legionnaires' disease in Canterbury, New Zealand. Case-patients were persons hospitalized with L. longbeachae pneumonia, and controls were persons randomly sampled from the electoral roll for the area served by the p...

Aerosolization of the thermophilous fungal opportunist Aspergillus fumigatus from mechanically agitated compost piles was examined at a pilot-scale sewage sludge composting facility and two other selected test sites. Aerosols of A. fumigatus downwind from stationary compost piles were insignificant in comparison with those downwind from agitated piles. These aerosols were generated by a front-e...

The progressive development of civilization and intensive industrialization has contributed to the global pollution of the natural environment by heavy metals, especially the soil. Degraded soils generally contain less organic matter, and thus, their homeostasis is more often disturbed, which in turn manifests in changes in biological and physicochemical properties of the soil. Therefore, new p...