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Incorporation of solar-heated aeration and greenhouse in grass composting

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Abstract

Composting is an environment-friendly method for recycling organic waste, and incorporation of heat and aeration can enhance favorable conditions for microbial growth in the process. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of the introduction of solar heat and aeration to the waste grass exposed to the composting process. The compost piles studied were subjected to different processes: application of solar-heated aeration, only-aeration, solar heating with a greenhouse, and control. Solar-heated air was introduced to a compost pile of grass clippings and compared with a greenhouse compost system. The composting process of 70 days was monitored for temperature, oxygen, moisture, organic matter loss, and humification rate. Germination index has been used to evaluate the maturation of the composts produced. The highest temperature was obtained at the compost pile with the greenhouse. This system reached the highest temperature (68.2 °C) on day 15; the ambient temperature on that day was 20.6 °C. The decreases in the C/N ratios after day 70 of composting were 20% and 15% for the greenhouse and the system where solar-heated air was introduced, respectively. Although the temperature of the solar-heated air was higher than that of the greenhouse, thermophilic temperature levels could not be reached in the aerated compost pile, which indicated a cooling effect of excessive aeration even with the heated air. Composting of grass clippings resulted in a decrease in organic matter content and enhancement in seed germination and root growth, obtaining high GI levels, inferring no phytotoxicity. This study showed that composting of grass clippings with low C/N ratios and high humidity can still be possible by using solar energy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Central Laboratory for Marine Aquaculture of the Marine Sciences Department of the Universidad Católica del Norte for providing invaluable equipment support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Católica del Norte, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Escuela de Prevención de Riesgos y Medioambiente, Coquimbo, Chile

    Rodrigo Poblete

  2. Environmental Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey

    Guray Salihoglu & Nezih Kamil Salihoglu

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  1. Rodrigo Poblete
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Contributions

This manuscript was contributed by all the authors. Rodrigo Poblete performed the experimental work, collected the data, realized some figures, and wrote the initial draft; Guray Salihoglu and Nezih Kamil Salihoglu verified the availability of the data and information, realized figures, and wrote and reviewed the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Rodrigo Poblete.

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Poblete, R., Salihoglu, G. & Salihoglu, N.K. Incorporation of solar-heated aeration and greenhouse in grass composting. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 26807–26818 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-12577-7

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