Characterisation of humic substances formed during co-composting of grass and wood wastes with animal grease

Environ Technol. 2012 Jun;33(10-12):1427-33. doi: 10.1080/09593330.2011.632652.

Abstract

Meat processing grease wastes were composted with lignocellulosic material. Judging by the reduction in the yield of compost lipophilic extract, grease was degraded during the first 20 days of composting. Compost humic acids (HA) and fulvic acids (FA) were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and analytical pyrolysis. The compost HA and FA fractions contained a ligno-protein complex. The presence of grease (6.7% dry weight) during composting had a slight influence on the chemical composition of HA and FA. Analytical pyrolysis indicated that, during composting, major changes were observed in the FA fraction, namely, the proportion of nitrogen-bearing compounds increased and carbohydrate-derived products decreased drastically in the final compost. In addition, the shortening of the aliphatic chains of lignin-derived compounds was observed with an increase in the C6C(0-2)/C6C3 ratio in pyrolysates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Benzopyrans / analysis*
  • Fats / chemistry
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Humic Substances / analysis*
  • Industrial Waste
  • Lignin / chemistry*
  • Meat-Packing Industry*
  • Poaceae
  • Recycling*
  • Soil / analysis
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Wood

Substances

  • Benzopyrans
  • Fats
  • Humic Substances
  • Industrial Waste
  • Soil
  • lignocellulose
  • Lignin
  • fulvic acid