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Changes in the microbial communities during co-composting of digestates
Ingrid H Franke-Whittle1, Alberto Confalonieri2, Heribert Insam1
1University of Innsbruck, Institute of Microbiology, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Waste Management (New York, N.Y.)
|January 25, 2014
Summary
Composting anaerobic digestate with green waste alters microbial communities, enhancing degradation rates within the first 14 days. This study tracked microbial dynamics during waste treatment and composting.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Waste Management Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Anaerobic digestion is a globally significant waste treatment method.
- Digestate, a byproduct of anaerobic digestion, can be valorized through composting.
- Understanding microbial dynamics is crucial for optimizing composting processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microbial community shifts during the composting of anaerobic digestate, green waste, and screened compost.
- To correlate microbial changes with physical-chemical parameters and degradation rates.
- To analyze the impact of starting materials on microbial community development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the COMPOCHIP microarray to profile microbial communities.
- Monitored physical-chemical parameters throughout the 63-day composting process.
- Analyzed CO2 evolution in exhaust air to assess degradation rates.
- Applied principal component analysis (PCA) to interpret microbial community data.
Main Results:
- Composting exhibited typical temperature development and high degradation rates in the initial 14 days (indicated by CO2 levels).
- Most physical-chemical parameters remained within typical composting ranges, except for transiently elevated nitrite and nitrate levels on day 34.
- Microbial communities evolved significantly over 63 days; initial samples clustered with digestate and screened compost, while green waste grouped separately.
- Starting materials showed lower microbial signal intensity compared to samples during the composting process.
Conclusions:
- The composting of anaerobic digestate, green waste, and screened compost supports typical composting conditions and enhances microbial activity.
- Microbial community composition significantly changes during composting, with distinct clustering observed based on initial materials.
- The COMPOCHIP microarray is effective in tracking microbial dynamics during waste composting, revealing shifts from initial inputs to the active composting phase.
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