Enhancing nitrogen conservation in aerobic composting through microbial and material interventions: Implications for...

Nitrogen loss during aerobic composting remains a critical barrier that hinders high-efficiency compost and less greenhouse gas emissions. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in nitrogen conservation strategies with an emphasis on microbial regulation, material-based optimization, and process regulation. Microbial inoculants such as Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Azotobacter can reshape nitrogen-transformation communities, enhancing ammonium assimilation and nitrogen fixation while suppressing denitrification-related losses. Material-based approaches, including adding biochar, phosphate, and composite additives, can reduce ammonia volatilization and nitrous oxide (N₂O) generation through adsorption, pH regulation and precipitation. Process-level strategies such as stratified aeration, membrane covered composting, and machine learning-assisted process control can further stabilize physicochemical conditions and improve nitrogen conservation efficiency. Environmental and techno-economic assessments indicate that adoption of the synergistic strategies will reduce NH₃ and N₂O emissions by 15-35% and increase total nitrogen (TN) retention by 10-20%, across different studies. Indeed, these values varied as the experimental conditions varied in the feedstock, composting scale, amendment dosage, and evaluation method. Cost, scalability, and policy support should be prioritized for practical application of these strategies. This review provides an integrated perspective on microbial, material-based and process-level strategies for enhancing nitrogen conservation and supports the rational design and optimization of nitrogen-smart aerobic composting systems with reduced nitrogen loss.