A review on nitrogen dynamics and mitigation strategies of food waste digestate composting

M K Manu; Dongyi Li; Luo Liwen; Zhao Jun; Sunita Varjani; Jonathan W C Wong

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125032

A review on nitrogen dynamics and mitigation strategies of food waste digestate composting

Bioresour Technol. 2021 Aug:334:125032. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125032. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Authors

M K Manu¹, Dongyi Li¹, Luo Liwen¹, Zhao Jun¹, Sunita Varjani², Jonathan W C Wong³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Bioresource and Agriculture, Sino-Forest Applied Research Centre for Pearl River Delta Environment and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.
² Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar, 382 010 Gujarat, India.
³ Institute of Bioresource and Agriculture, Sino-Forest Applied Research Centre for Pearl River Delta Environment and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong; School of Technology, Huzhou University, Huzhou 311800, China. Electronic address: jwcwong@hkbu.edu.hk.

PMID: 33964812
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125032

Abstract

Food waste digestate is a by-product of the anaerobic digestion of food waste. Presence of high ammonium nitrogen content significantly increase the nitrogen loss upon direct application on soil or by conventional composting. In this review, a comprehensive discussion regarding the effective management of food waste digestate is outlined, in which global food waste digestate production, characteristics, and composting are discussed. The nitrogen dynamics cycle considering high ammonium nitrogen content in the digestate is also evaluated, including ammonification, nitrification, denitrification, and other possible mechanisms based on the current literature. Mitigation strategies for reducing nitrogen loss via C/N ratio adjustment and the addition of physical, chemical, and microbial amendments were evaluated and estimated for 15 countries based on the available data on food waste anaerobic digestion plants. Reduced nitrogen loss and high quality compost could be produced from food waste digestate by adapting mitigation strategies.

Keywords: Composting; Denitrification; Food waste digestate; Gaseous emission; Nitrification.

Publication types

Review