Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Variations of culturable thermophilic microbe numbers and bacterial communities during the thermophilic phase of composting

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Composting is a process of stabilizing organic wastes through the degradation of biodegradable components by microbial communities under controlled conditions. In the present study, genera and species diversities, amylohydrolysis, protein and cellulose degradation abilities of culturable bacteria in the thermophilic phase of composting of cattle manure with plant ash and rice bran were investigated. The number of culturable thermophilic bacteria and actinomyces decreased with the increasing temperature. At the initiation and end of the thermophilic phase, genera and specie diversities and number of bacteria possessing degradation abilities were higher than during the middle phase. During the thermophilic composting phase, Bacillus, Geobacillus and Ureibacillus were the dominant genera, and Geobacillus thermodenitrificans was the dominant species. In later thermophilic phases, Geobacillus toebii and Ureibacillus terrenus were dominant. Bacillus, at the initiation, and Ureibacillus and Geobacillus, at the later phase, contributed the multiple degradation abilities. These data will facilitate the control of composting in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agrawal M, Pradeep S, Chandraraj K, Gummadi SN (2005) Hydrolysis of starch by amylase from Bacillus sp. KCA102: a statistical approach. Process Biochem 40:2499–2507

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anastasi A, Varese GC, Marchisio VF (2005) Isolation and identification of fungal communities in compost and vermicompost. Mycologia 97:33–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatia A, Ali M, Sahoo J, Madan S, Pathania R, Ahmed N, Kazmi AA (2012) Microbial diversity during Rotary Drum and Windrow Pile composting. J Basic Microb 52:5–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanc M, Marilley L, Beffa T, Aragno M (1999) Thermophilic bacterial communities in hot composts as revealed by most probable number counts and molecular (16S rDNA) methods. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 28:141–149

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown M, Foster J (1970) A simple diagnostic milk medium for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Clin Pathol 23:172–177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cahyani VR, Matsuya K, Asakawa S, Kimura M (2003) Succession and phylogenetic composition of bacterial communities responsible for the composting process of rice straw estimated by PCR-DGGE analysis. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 49:619–630

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Charbonneau DM, Meddeb-Mouelhi F, Boissinot M, Sirois M, Beauregard M (2012) Identification of thermophilic bacterial strains producing thermotolerant hydrolytic enzymes from manure compost. Indian J Microbiol 52:41–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coelho L, Reis M, Dionísio L (2013) Variation in microbial population during composting of agro-industrial waste. Appl Microbiol Biot 97:4179–4186

    Google Scholar 

  • Danon M, Franke-Whittle IH, Insam H, Chen Y, Hadar Y (2008) Molecular analysis of bacterial community succession during prolonged compost curing. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 65:133–144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • de Bertoldi M, Valdini G, Pera A (1983) The biology of composting: a review. Waste Manag Res 1:157–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Droffner ML, Brinton WF (1995) Survival of Escherichia coli and Salmonella populations in aerobic thermophilic composts as measured with DNA gene probes. Zentralbl Hyg Umweltmed 197:387–397

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis RJ, Morgan P, Weightman AJ, Fry JC (2004) Cultivation-dependent and -independent approaches for determining bacterial diversity in heavy-metal-contaminated soil. Appl Environ Microb 69:3223–3230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fortina MG, Pukall R, Schumann P, Mora D, Parini C, Manachini PL, Stackebrandt E (2011) Ureibacillus gen. nov., a new genus to accommodate Bacillus thermosphaericus (Andersson et al., 1995), emendation of Ureibacillus thermosphaericus and description of Ureibacillus terrenus sp. Nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 51:447–455

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanajima D, Haruta S, Hori T, Ishii M, Haga K, Igarashi Y (2009) Bacterial community dynamics during reduction of odorous compounds in aerated pig manure slurry. J Appl Microbiol 106:118–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He JZ, Zheng Y, Chen CR, He YU, Zhang LM (2008) Microbial composition and diversity of an upland red soil under long-term fertilization treatments as revealed by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. J Soil Sediment 8:349–358

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ishii K, Takii S (2003) Comparison of microbial communities in four different composting processes as evaluated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis. J Appl Microbiol 95:109–119

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kasana RC, Salwan R, Dhar H, Dutt S, Gulati A (2008) A rapid and easy method for the detection of microbial cellulases on agar plates using gram’s iodine. Curr Microbiol 57:503–507

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li R, Zheng JW, Ni B, Chen K, Yang XJ, Li SP, Jiang JD (2011) Biodegradation of pentachloronitrobenzene by Labrys portucalensis pcnb-21 isolated from polluted soil. Pedosphere 21:31–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Xu XH, Li HT, Xu Y (2011) Effect of microbiological inocula on chemical and physical properties and microbial community of cow manure compost. Biomass Bioenerg 35:3433–3439

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall MN, Cocolin L, Mills DA, VanderGheynst JS (2003) Evaluation of PCR primers for denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of fungal communities in compost. J Appl Microbiol 95:934–948

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McKinley VL, Vestal JR (1984) Biokinetic analyses of adaptation and cuccession: microbial activity in composting municipal sewage sludge. Appl Environ Microb 47:933–941

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mijangos I, Becerril JM, Albizu I, Epelde L, Carlos G (2009) Effects of glyphosate on rhizosphere soil microbial communities under two different plant compositions by cultivation-dependent and -independent methodologies. Soil Biol Biochem 41:505–513

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ofosu-Budu GK, Hogarh JN, Fobil JN, Quaye A, Danso SKA, Carboo D (2010) Harmonizing procedures for the evaluation of compost maturity in two compost types in Ghana. Resour Conserv Recycl 54:205–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steger K, Eklind Y, Olsson J, Sundh I (2005) Microbial community growth and utilization of carbon constituents during thermophilic composting at different oxygen levels. Microb Ecol 50:163–171

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steger K, Sjögrena M, Jarvis A, Jansson JK, Sundh I (2007) Development of compost maturity and Actinobacteria populations during full-scale composting of organic household waste. J Appl Microbiol 103:487–498

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strom PF (1985) Effect of temperature on bacterial species-diversity in thermophilic solid-waste composting. Appl Environ Microb 50:899–905

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takaku H, Kodaira S, Kimoto A, Nashimoto M, Takagi M (2006) Microbial communities in the garbage composting with rice hull as an amendment revealed by culture-dependent and -independent approaches. J Biosci Bioeng 101:42–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tamaki H, Sekiguchi YJ, Hanada S, Nakamura K, Nomura N, Matsumura M, Kamagata Y (2005) Comparative analysis of bacterial diversity in freshwater sediment of a shallow eutrophic lake by molecular and improved cultivation-based techniques. Appl Environ Microb 71:2162–2169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang JC, Kanamori T, Inoue Y, Yasuta T, Yoshida S, Katayama A (2004) Changes in the microbial community structure during thermophilic composting of manure as detected by the quinone profile method. Process Biochem 39:1999–2006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tiquia SM, Wan JHC, Tam NFY (2002) Microbial population dynamics and enzyme activities during composting. Compost Sci Util 10:150–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vargas-García MC, Suárez-Estrella F, López MJ, Moreno J (2007) Effect of inoculation in composting processes: modifications in lignocellulosic fraction. Waste Manag 27:1099–1107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang W, Yan L, Cui Z, Gao Y, Wang Y, Jing R (2011) Characterization of a microbial consortium capable of degrading lignocellulose. Bioresour Technol 102:9321–9324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu HY, Zeng GM, Huang HL, Xi XM, Wang RY, Huang DL, Huang GH, Li JB (2007) Microbial community succession and lignocellulose degradation during agricultural waste composting. Biodegradation 18:793–802

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng G, Yu Z, Chen Y, Zhang J, Li H, Yu M, Zhao M (2001) Response of compost maturity and microbial community composition to pentachlorophenol (PCP)-contaminated soil during composting. Bioresour Technol 102:5905–5911

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41101231), the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB100503), the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (2013AA102802), the Agricultural Ministry of China (201103004), the Key Technology R&D Program of Jiangsu, China (BE2012377), the Jiangsu Postdoctoral Science Foundation (1102079C), and the Priority Academic Program Development of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), 111 project (B12009).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Low-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Ministry of Agricultural, Jiangsu Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China

    Rong Li, Linzhi Li, Rong Huang, Yifei Sun, Xinlan Mei, Biao Shen & Qirong Shen

Authors
  1. Rong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Linzhi Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rong Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yifei Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xinlan Mei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Biao Shen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Qirong Shen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Biao Shen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, R., Li, L., Huang, R. et al. Variations of culturable thermophilic microbe numbers and bacterial communities during the thermophilic phase of composting. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 30, 1737–1746 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-013-1593-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-013-1593-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation