Dehydrogenase activity as a method for monitoring the composting process

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2007.01.027

Bioresource Technology

Volume 99, Issue 4, March 2008, Pages 905-908

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2007.01.027 Get rights and content

Abstract

Dehydrogenase enzymatic activity was determined to monitor the biological activity in a composting process of organic fraction of municipal solid waste. Dehydrogenase activity is proposed as a method to describe the biological activity of the thermophilic and mesophilic stages of composting. The maximum dehydrogenase activity was detected at the end of the thermophilic stage of composting, with values within 0.5–0.7 mg g dry matter⁻¹ h⁻¹. Also, dehydrogenase activity can be correlated to static respiration index during the maturation mesophilic stage.

Introduction

Composting is a biotechnological process in which organic solid matter is biodegraded under aerobic conditions (Haug, 1993). As interest in composting is growing, the need of reliable methods for determination of the biological activity of the process increases.

Different methods have been used for monitoring the biological activity of the composting process. At present, the most popular methods are based on the respiration of a solid compost sample under dynamic and static conditions (Scaglia et al., 2000, Adani et al., 2003). However, these methods only provide quantitative results when are carried out at identical conditions of the process, which is not always feasible (Mari et al., 2003).

Another group of methods is based on more specific biochemical properties such as RNA content (Liwarska-Bizukojc and Ledakowicz, 2001), ATP content (Horiuchi et al., 2003) or several enzymatic activities (Wong and Fang, 2000, Tiquia et al., 2002a, Mondini et al., 2004). Among these, dehydrogenase activity (DA) is related to a group of enzymes which participate in the metabolic reactions producing energy in the form of ATP through the oxidation of organic matter, which is especially interesting in the composting process. DA has been studied in few works to monitor the biological activity of the composting process (Wong and Fang, 2000, Tiquia et al., 2002b) and has been correlated with some operational and biochemical parameters such as temperature, nitrogen content or other enzymatic activities (Benitez et al., 2005). Recent works on composting (Tiquia, 2005) have successfully correlated DA with respiration activity.

The aim of the present study is the determination of DA throughout a whole composting process (including active thermophilic stage and maturation mesophilic stage) and to correlate it with the static respiration index (SRI), a typical monitoring parameter of biological activity of composting.

Section snippets

Composted wastes

Source-selected organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW) was selected as a substrate for composting experiments. OFMSW was obtained from a local composting plant and mixed with pruning wastes used as bulking agent in a volumetric ratio 3:1 (pruning wastes:OFMSW). Compost was obtained from the same composting plant at the beginning of maturation stage. In the composting plant studied, the beginning of the maturation stage starts when the material is extracted from a tunnel composting

Results and discussion

Fig. 1 shows the temperature profile of the OFMSW composting experiment. Temperature presented a typical pattern of a composting process (Haug, 1993), with a sharp peak of temperature at day 10 (70 °C) and a gradual decrease to mesophilic temperature from day 20. Thermophilic range of temperature (>45 °C) was maintained for more than 10 days, which ensures a complete sanitation of the material. Aerobic conditions were expected since the oxygen in the compost material was observed to be over 10%

Acknowledgement

Financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (Project CTM2006-00315/TECNO).

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Effects of lime addition on sewage sludge composting process
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Bioresource Technology

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Composted wastes

Results and discussion

Acknowledgement

References (15)

Enzyme activities as indicators of the stabilization of sewage sludges composting with Eisenia foetida

Bioresource Technol.

Hydrolytic enzyme activities of extracted humic substances during the vermicomposting of a lignocellulosic olive waste

Bioresource Technol.

Simplified method for estimation of microbial activity in compost by ATP analysis

Bioresource Technol.

Respiration profiles in monitoring the composting of by-products from the olive oil agro-industry

Bioresource Technol.

Enzymatic activity as a parameter for the characterization of the composting process

Soil Biol. Biochem.

Dynamics of yard trimmings composting as determined by dehydrogenase activity, ATP content, Arginine ammonification, and nitrification potential

Process Biochem.

Effects of lime addition on sewage sludge composting process

Water Res.

Cited by (108)

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Understanding the effect of residual aluminum salt coagulant on activated sludge in sequencing batch reactor: Performance response, activity restoration and microbial community evolution

Assessment of compost maturity-stability indices and recent development of composting bin

Black Soldier Fly-based bioconversion of biosolids creates high-value products with low heavy metal concentrations

Short-term biodrying achieves compost maturity and significantly reduces antibiotic resistance genes during semi-continuous food waste composting inoculated with mature compost

Short CommunicationDehydrogenase activity as a method for monitoring the composting process

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Composted wastes

Results and discussion

Acknowledgement

Bioresource Technol.

Bioresource Technol.

Bioresource Technol.

Bioresource Technol.

Soil Biol. Biochem.

Process Biochem.

Water Res.

Short Communication
Dehydrogenase activity as a method for monitoring the composting process