Reduced greenhouse gas emission by reactive oxygen species during composting

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is produced in the composting, which effectively promote organic matter transformation and humification process, but the effect of ROS on greenhouse gas emissions in this process has not been understood. This study proposed and validated that ROS can effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions intheprocessofcomposting. Compared with ordinary thermophilic composting (oTC), thermophilic composting (imTC) that was supplemented by iron mineral increased ROS production by 1.38 times, and significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 45.12%. Microbial community analysis showed no significant difference in the abundance of microbes involved in greenhouse gas production between oTC and imTC. Further correlation analysis proved that ROS played a crucial role in influencing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the composting process, especially in the initial phase. These findings provide new strategies for managing livestock and poultry manure to mitigate climate change.