Semi-permeable membrane coverage accelerates composting through modulated bacterial succession and organic matter...

Semi-permeable membrane-covered aerobic composting (SMS) has emerged as a high-efficiency technology for organic waste recycling, yet the microspatial dynamics of organic matter (OM) transformation and associated microbial drivers remain poorly characterized. This study evaluated the performance of a functional membrane-covered treatment (CM) against a non-covered control (CK) over a full composting cycle. Results demonstrated that CM significantly accelerated fermentation efficiency, achieving a final germination index (GI) of 90.1%, whereas CK reached only 81.3%. Synchrotron-based FTIR spectromicroscopy provided in situ microspatial evidence of humification heterogeneity, revealing preferential enrichment of organic functional groups within the core regions of compost particles during the thermophilic and maturation phases. Critically, CM treatment yielded a significantly higher humification index (HI = 0.82) compared to CK (HI = 0.55). High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that CM fundamentally restructured the bacterial community, specifically enriching the genera Dietzia, Nocardiopsis, and Thermobifida. These taxa were strongly correlated with changes in organic matter composition, suggesting their pivotal role in enhancing degradation and humification. Our findings establish a microspatial and taxonomic framework for understanding OM evolution in SMS, providing a mechanistic basis for optimizing microbially regulated strategies in industrial-scale organic solid waste management.