Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9465255 | Waste Management | 2005 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
In this work the composting process of municipal solid wastes was studied in order to characterize the transformations of organic matter, particularly humic acid (HA). A composting process, lasting three months, was monitored by chemical methods; the following parameters were measured: water-soluble carbon concentration (WSC) and humic substances content (humic and fulvic acid (FA)). The effects of humification on the molecular structure of humic acid (HA) were also evaluated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and 13C NMR spectroscopy. WSC concentration rapidly increased reaching a maximum at day-14 of the composting process and then declined. The humic and fulvic acid content (HA and FA, respectively) slightly increased during the process. The FT-IR and 13C NMR spectra of HA indicate a high rate of change in structure during composting. The groups containing aromatic and carboxylic C increased, while polysaccharides and other aliphatic structures degraded during composting, resulting in HA structures of higher aromaticity. Therefore, spectrometric measurements could provide information significantly correlated to conventional chemical parameters of compost maturity.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Authors
Paola Castaldi, Guido Alberti, Roberto Merella, Pietro Melis,