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Published on: July 13, 2012
Dehydrogenase activity as a method for monitoring the composting process
Raquel Barrena1, Felícitas Vázquez, Antoni Sánchez
1Composting Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola, 08193-Barcelona, Spain.
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 0.5-0.7mgg dry matter(-1)h(-1). Also, dehydrogenase activity can be correlated to static respiration index during the maturation mesophilic stage.
