Chemical, microbial and physical properties of manufactured soils produced by co-composting municipal green waste with coal fly ash

Bioresour Technol. 2009 Nov;100(21):5203-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.05.032. Epub 2009 Jun 17.

Abstract

Increasing proportions of coal fly ash were co-composted with municipal green waste to produce manufactured soil for landscaping use. Only the 100% green waste treatment reached a thermophilic composting phase (50 degrees C) which lasted for 6 days. The 25% and 50% ash treatments reached 36-38 degrees C over the same period while little or no self-heating occurred in the 75% and 100% ash treatments. Composted green waste had a low bulk density and high total and macro-porosity. Addition of 25% ash to green waste resulted in a 75% increase in available water holding capacity. As the proportions of added ash in the composts increased, the organic C, soluble C, microbial biomass C, basal respiration and activities of beta-glucosidase, L-asparaginase, alkali phosphatase and arylsulphatase enzymes in the composted products all decreased. It could be concluded that addition of fly ash to green waste at a proportion higher than 25% did not improve the quality parameters of manufactured soil.

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Biomass
  • Carbon / analysis
  • Carbon / metabolism*
  • Cities*
  • Coal Ash
  • Coal*
  • Germination
  • Lepidium sativum / physiology
  • Materials Testing
  • Nitrates / isolation & purification
  • Nitrogen / analysis
  • Particulate Matter / metabolism*
  • Plants / metabolism*
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / isolation & purification
  • Refuse Disposal
  • Soil Microbiology*
  • Soil*
  • Solubility
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Coal
  • Coal Ash
  • Nitrates
  • Particulate Matter
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
  • Soil
  • Carbon
  • Nitrogen