Compost specifications

Zucconi, F. and De Bertoldi, M. (1987) Compost specifications for the production and characterization of compost from municipal solid waste. In De Bertoldi, M., Ferranti, M.P., F Hermite, P. and Zucconi, F. (eds) Compost Production, Quality and Use. FIsevier Applied Science, London, pp. 30-50. 

Home compost specification specifies that a plastic material is compostable if it meets the following specifications ... 

The norms of compostability specifications can be considered as umbrella norms in which various necessary characteristics are summarised, along with the test methods on how to check these and the necessary pass levels to be met. An overview of the main characteristics is given in Figure 5.7. Two main characteristics are related to environmental safety, which in the case of composting falls back to compost quality chemical analyses and ecotoxicity. Two other characteristics are related to degradation biodegradation and disintegration. 

Filter Matrix The most common filter substrates in use today are soils or compost produced from leaves, bark, wood chips, activated sludge, paper, or other organic materials. In selecting a proper filter substrate for a specific use, the following should be considered ... 

The Commission is working on establishing end-of-waste criteria for a number of specific recyclable materials including metal scrap of copper, aluminum and iron, waste paper, waste glass, compost, and plastics. Based on the results of two frontrunner studies, ferrous scrap and aluminum scrap in 2010, the first... 

Composts can be made from most biodegradable materials, and could derive from many unusual sources. If it originates from municipal solid waste, however, care should be taken that no toxic and non-degradable materials remain after the supplier s separation processes. Small pieces of brick and concrete, glass and plastic (inerts), lead residues from old car batteries and cadmium from electroplated items are possible. A useful work on specifications and recommended chemical analyses of composts is the book by Bertoldi et al., 1987. 

Elemental compostion Ce 25.56%, H 1.47%, N 20.44%, 0 52.53%. The aqueous solution of the compound may be analyzed for Ce by AA or ICP spectrophotometry. Also, the solution may be measured for NH4 ion by ammonium ion-selective electrode and the NO3 ion by nitrate ion-specific electrode, ion chromatography or cadmium-reduction colorimetry. For all these measurements, the solution may require sufficient dilutions. For quantitation, its solution may be standardized by titration with a reducing agent such as sodium oxalate in the presence of iron and ferroin indicator. 

Environmental applications of FIFFF have been carefully collected in a review by Gimbert et al. [35]. Separations of nanoparticles belong to the FIFFF tradition and this sector has recently found new, fully deserved impulse for microparticle separations. The FIFFF technique has been applied to analyze humic material and submicron Fe colloids. Coupled with ICP-MS, FIFFF has been applied to detect the major and trace element chemistry of aquatic colloids in groundwaters and to determine the trace element distribution in soil and compost-derived humic and colloidal fractions in municipal wastewater. Recently, the ICP-AES has also been proposed as a specific detector for FIFFF to analyze inorganic nanoparticles (Figure 12.12). 

Waste gas is first drawn in through the air/water separator, used to remove impurities in the air such as water droplets, solid particles, etc. The effluent then travels to the trickling filter, which is a packed column of very porous polymer material. The use of a polymer as the packing material enhances mass transfers between the liquid and gas. The polymer can fix a large culmre of specific bacteria capable of degrading contaminants found in the liquid phase. The trickling filter is followed by a compost-based biofilter that removes residual contaminants. 

More information is needed on factors such as optimal cultures for specific applications, aeration, mixing requirements, timing of microbial and nutrient augmentation, soil type, and bioavailability of hazardous compounds. These parameters will help develop fungal composting as a reliable method for degrading PAHs. 

A methanotrophic biofilter is a biofilter in which methanotrophs are present. In a biofilter, a gas- or aqueous-phase contaminant stream is passed through a media on which the bacteria are growing. The media can be of several different materials, including compost, peat, soil material, or granular activated carbon. Specific strains of bacteria may be introduced into the filter and optimal conditions provided to preferentially degrade specific compounds. 

The engineered soil cell is a hybrid of the landfarming and the composting processes. Engineered soil cells are constructed, essentially, as aerated compost piles. Such systems offer the best of both processes and are therefore preferred whenever the site-specific application warrants their use. Key factors to consider include (1) ability to excavate and process material, (2) total volume of material to be treated, (3) expected treatment time, and (4) desired cleanup level. 

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