article · The Science of The Total Environment
Composting vegetable waste transforms organic matter and phosphorus, directly influencing the quality and efficiency of the final compost product. Incorporating a straw-decomposing microbial inoculant improves these conversion processes during vegetable waste composting. Over the course of the composting process, aliphatic carboxyl-containing compounds break down, leading to enhanced thermal stability of organic matter and better phosphorus stability. The introduction of the microbial inoculant specifically accelerates the degradation of dissolved organic carbon by 81.7 percent. Sequential fractionation of phosphorus reveals that water-soluble phosphorus decreases by more than 12 percent, while hydrochloric acid-extractable phosphorus rises by more than 4 percent by the end of composting. Ultimately, the finished compost primarily contains stable phosphorus compounds, such as aluminium phosphate and iron-containing phosphates, offering a method to produce higher-quality compost and improve the reutilisation of vegetable waste.
Vegetable waste represents a major component of municipal and agricultural refuse that can be difficult to recycle effectively. Improving how organic matter breaks down and how phosphorus stabilises allows waste processors to generate safer, higher-value compost. These insights help optimise composting methods, turning perishable vegetable refuse into stable soil conditioners that retain essential plant nutrients more effectively.
This work applies directly to commercial compost producers, organic fertiliser manufacturers, and municipal waste management facilities processing vegetable refuse. By establishing that straw-decomposing microbial inoculants boost dissolved organic carbon degradation and stabilise phosphorus into non-leaching mineral forms, the findings support the formulation of enhanced inoculant additives. The research represents applied, experimental testing, requiring operational piloting at industrial scale to validate process economics and agronomic performance in field settings.
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The conversion of organic matter and P in the waste composting process affects the efficiency of the composted product. However, the addition of microbial inoculants may improve the conversion characteristics of organic matter and P. In this study, straw-decomposing microbial inoculant (SDMI) was added to investigate its effects on the organic matter stabilization and phosphorus activation during the composting of vegetable waste (VWs). Aliphatic carboxyl-containing compounds were degraded during composting, but the stability of the organic matter and P was improved. The addition of SDMI promoted the degradation of dissolved organic carbon by 81.7 % and improved P stability and thermal stability of organic matter. Hedley sequential P fractionation showed a decrease in the H<sub>2</sub>O-P proportion by >12 % and increased in the HCl-P proportion by >4 % by the end of composting. Stable forms of P, such as AlPO<sub>4</sub> and iron-containing phosphate, were the main forms of P in the final compost. The results provide a basis for producing high-quality vegetable compost products and improving the reutilization potential of VWs.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164608
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