Co-composting kinetics of rose processing waste with OFMSW

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Waste Management
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Co-composting of diverse organic wastes is crucial for sustainable waste management.
• Rose processing waste (RPW) and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) present unique decomposition characteristics.
• Understanding composting kinetics is key to optimizing treatment efficiency and predicting outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the decomposition kinetics during the co-composting of RPW and OFMSW.
• To compare the applicability of various kinetic models to this specific waste mixture.
• To identify the most suitable kinetic model for describing the composting process.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 65-L batch reactors to conduct co-composting experiments with varying ratios of RPW and OFMSW.
• Monitored key parameters: carbon dioxide (CO2) evolution and internal temperature over time.
• Applied kinetic models (first-zero-order, first-first-order, Chen and Hashimoto's, Levi-Minzi's) and non-linear regression for data analysis.

Main Results:

• The decomposition process was assessed by analyzing rapidly and slowly biodegradable organic matter fractions.
• Kinetic parameters and rate constants were determined using average relative errors and coefficient of determination.
• The first-first-order kinetic model demonstrated the best fit for the experimental data.

Conclusions:

• The first-first-order model accurately predicts the decomposition kinetics of RPW and OFMSW co-composting.
• This finding aids in optimizing the co-composting process for improved organic waste treatment.
• Provides a valuable kinetic framework for future research in waste valorization.