Sewage sludge composting: Influence of initial mixtures on organic matter evolution and N availability in the final composts

The influence of bulking agents on organic matter (OM) stability and nitrogen (N) availability in sewage sludge composts was investigated. The same sludge was composted on an industrial plant with different mixtures of bulking agents. The composting process included an active phase and a curing phase, both lasting 6 weeks, separated by the screening of composts. The OM evolution was characterised by carbon (C) and N mass balances in biochemical fractions. The OM stability and N potential availability of final composts were measured during soil incubations. During composting, the C and N losses reached more than 62% of the initial C and more than 45% of the initial N, respectively, due to C mineralisation or N volatilisation and screening. The bulking materials mostly influenced OM evolution during the active phase. They contributed to the mitigation of N losses during the active phase where N immobilisation through active microbial activity was favoured by bulking agents increasing the C:N ratio of the initial mixtures. However, the influence of bulking agents on OM evolution was removed by the screening; this induced the homogenisation of compost characteristics and led to the production of sludge composts with similar organic matter characteristics, C degradability and N availability.