Publication detail

Food waste composting - Is it really so simple as stated in scientific literature? – A case study

VOBĚRKOVÁ, S. MAXIANOVÁ, A. SCHLOSSEROVÁ, N. ADAMCOVÁ, D. VRŠANSKÁ, M. RICHTERA, L. GAGIĆ, M. ZLOCH, J. VAVERKOVÁ, M.D.

Original Title

Food waste composting - Is it really so simple as stated in scientific literature? – A case study

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Food waste has recently gained much worldwide interest due to its influence on the environment, economy and society. Gathering and recycling of food waste is the essential issue in the waste management and the interest in processing food waste arises mainly out of influence of the processes of food putrefaction on the environment. Composting of food waste encounters a number of technical challenges, arising weak physical structure of food waste with weak porosity, high content of water, low carbon-to-nitrogen relation and fast hydrolysis and accumulation of organic acids during composting. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the challenges facing installations intended for food waste composting, with the purpose to their optimization with use of appropriate additives. Physico-chemical, biochemical characteristics and phytotoxicity of the produced compost has been measured. Two additives (20% biochar and 20% sawdust) were chosen from experimental variants I-XII containing different additives (biochar, Devonian sand, sawdust) in diverse concentration. The use of selected additives seems to slightly increase potential of hydrogen value and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, while decreasing electrical conductivity in comparison with control sample. The results obtained also show that the addition of biochar leads to an increase dehydrogenase, phosphatase and arylsulphatase activities and addition of sawdust has a positive effect on beta-D-glucosidase, protease, phosphatase and arylsulphatase activities. The phytotoxicity test shows that the compost made of food waste (control sample) and with addition of biochar is toxic to plants. By contrast, the addition of sawdust shows that the compost was not phytotoxic. In conclusion, the addition of additives does not provide unambiguous results in terms of the quality of the final product in all monitored parameters. Therefore, we can state that food waste was reduced and hygienized, and that the final product does not meet conditions for mature compost.

Keywords

Food waste; Organic recycling; Additives; Enzymatic activities; Phytotoxicity; Sustainability

Authors

VOBĚRKOVÁ, S.; MAXIANOVÁ, A.; SCHLOSSEROVÁ, N.; ADAMCOVÁ, D.; VRŠANSKÁ, M.; RICHTERA, L.; GAGIĆ, M.; ZLOCH, J.; VAVERKOVÁ, M.D.

Released

25. 6. 2020

ISBN

0048-9697

Periodical

Science of the Total Environment

Year of study

723

Number

138202

State

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Pages from

1

Pages to

14

Pages count

14

URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138202

BibTex

@article{BUT164790,
  author="VOBĚRKOVÁ, S. and MAXIANOVÁ, A. and SCHLOSSEROVÁ, N. and ADAMCOVÁ, D. and VRŠANSKÁ, M. and RICHTERA, L. and GAGIĆ, M. and ZLOCH, J. and VAVERKOVÁ, M.D.",
  title="Food waste composting - Is it really so simple as stated in scientific literature? – A case study",
  journal="Science of the Total Environment",
  year="2020",
  volume="723",
  number="138202",
  pages="1--14",
  doi="10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138202",
  issn="0048-9697",
  url="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138202"
}