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Microbial safety control of compost material with cow dung by heat treatment

Chun-ming Gong1

  • 1Xiamen Environmental Protection Research Institute, Xiamen 361006, China. gongcm1@yahoo.com.cn

Journal of Environmental Sciences (China)
|October 31, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Heat treatment of cow dung compost effectively eliminates pathogenic bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. Temperatures above 50°C rapidly reduce bacteria, ensuring safe compost within hours without harming beneficial microbes.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Waste Management

Background:

  • Cow dung compost can harbor pathogenic bacteria from animal intestinal tracts.
  • Sterilization of compost is crucial for safe application and environmental health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of heat treatment for eliminating pathogenic bacteria in cow dung compost.
  • To determine the optimal temperature and duration for complete sterilization.
  • To assess the impact of heat treatment on beneficial composting microbes.

Main Methods:

  • Pilot-scale heat treatment of cow dung.
  • Monitoring of pathogenic indicator bacteria (coliform, fecal coliform, E. coli, Salmonella) counts.
  • Re-growth and enrichment culture methods for verification.
  • Analysis of composting microbe populations (mesophiles, thermophiles, Bacillus) via fluorescence microscopy.

Main Results:

  • Pathogenic bacteria (10^6 cfu/g dw) were undetectable after heat treatment at 54-68°C for 6-24 hours.
  • Heat treatment did not significantly impair the fermentation ability of composting microbes.
  • Mesophilic bacteria decreased, while thermophilic bacteria stabilized or increased during treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Heat treatment is an effective method for sterilizing cow dung compost, eliminating harmful pathogens.
  • Bacillus species dominate the microbial community and are resilient composting microbes.
  • Safe and effective compost production is achievable through controlled heat treatment.

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