In this study, a settlement measurement device was used to track the settlement of different layers in composting piles, and time courses of settlement velocity, bulk density distribution, and effective bulk density were investigated. Settlement is divided into two stages: the physical compressive settlement and the mass loss settlement. At the end of the former stage, bulk density (rho') and p...

A cellulolytic, thermophilic actinomycete (previously isolated from municipal refuse compost samples) was identified as Thermomonospora curvata. A determination was made of the optimal conditions for cellulase production by T. curvata when grown at 55 C in a medium containing mineral salts, cellulose, and yeast extract. The pH and temperature optima (pH 6.0 and 65 C) for the cellulase produced ...

The co-composting of olive oil mill wastes and household refuse was followed for 5 months. During the thermophilic phase of composting, the aerobic heterotrophic bacteria (AHB) count, showed a significant rise with a slight regression of fungal biomass. In the same way, phospholipid fatty acids PLFAs common in bacteria, showed a significant increase of hydroxyl and branched PLFAs. The evaluatio...

The thermophilic microbiota of solid-waste composting, with major emphasis on Bacillus spp., was examined with Trypticase soy broth (BBL Microbiology Systems) with 2% agar as the initial plating medium. Five 4.5-liter laboratory units at 49 to 69 degrees C were fed a mixture of dried table scraps and shredded newspaper. The composting plants treating refuse at Altoona, Pa., and refuse-sludge at...

With the decline in the number of rendering operations due to industry consolidation and concern about Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) transmission, disposal of dairy and beef cattle mortalities by rendering either is not an option or is prohibitively expensive in many areas of the United States. On-site burial remains an alternative in many states, but impact on ground water quality is ...

years. In many parts of India, it lias long been the practice to utilize night-soil as manure without any previous treatment. It is also occasionally used for preparing ' poudrette' in combination with mud and refuse. In recent years, however, the desirability of preparing composts from night-soil and different forms of organic wastes under aerobic conditions is being increasingly realized as e...

Conversion of organic wastes, including night-soil, into manures has been practised for a number of years. Among the methods so far developed, those of Hutchinson and Richards (1921), Waksman and co-workers (1927), Fowler (1930) and Howard and Wad (1931) are most extensively adopted. These methods involve fermentation under essentially aerobic conditions. They are fairly rapid, but they also in...