TY - JOUR

T1 - Co-composting of cotton residues with olive mill wastewater

T2 - process monitoring and evaluation of the diversity of culturable microbial populations

AU - Kefalogianni, Io

AU - Skiada, Vasiliki

AU - Tsagou, Vasiliki

AU - Efthymiou, Aikaterini

AU - Xexakis, Konstantinos

AU - Chatzipavlidis, Iordanis

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - With the aim to recommend an integrated alternative for the combined treatment of olive mill wastewater (OMW) and cotton residues (CR), and the production of high value and environmentally friendly products, two compost piles were set up. The first pile (control, pile 1) consisted of ginned CR, whereas the second (pile 2) was made of CR with the addition of OMW. A series of physicochemical parameters and the culturable microbial diversity in both piles were assessed. Co-composting (pile 2) displayed higher temperatures during the whole process, a prolonged second thermophilic phase and temperature values higher than 40 °C even after the thermophilic stage. Comparing the physicochemical parameters of the pile 2 with those of the pile 1, it was deduced that pH in the former was more acidic during the onset of the process; the EC values were higher throughout the process, while the levels of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen, as well as the NH4+/NO3− ratios, were lower at most of the sampling dates. By evaluating the abovementioned results, it was estimated that the co-composting process headed sooner toward stability and maturity, Isolated microorganisms from both piles were identified as members of the genera Brevibacillus, Serratia, Klebsiella, and Aspergillus, whereas active thermotolerant diazotrophs were detected in both piles at the 2nd thermophilic phase emerging a promising prospect upon further evaluation for enhancing the end-product quality. Our findings indicate that co-composting is an interesting approach for the exploitation of large quantities of agro-industrial residues with a final product suitable for improving soil fertility and health.

AB - With the aim to recommend an integrated alternative for the combined treatment of olive mill wastewater (OMW) and cotton residues (CR), and the production of high value and environmentally friendly products, two compost piles were set up. The first pile (control, pile 1) consisted of ginned CR, whereas the second (pile 2) was made of CR with the addition of OMW. A series of physicochemical parameters and the culturable microbial diversity in both piles were assessed. Co-composting (pile 2) displayed higher temperatures during the whole process, a prolonged second thermophilic phase and temperature values higher than 40 °C even after the thermophilic stage. Comparing the physicochemical parameters of the pile 2 with those of the pile 1, it was deduced that pH in the former was more acidic during the onset of the process; the EC values were higher throughout the process, while the levels of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen, as well as the NH4+/NO3− ratios, were lower at most of the sampling dates. By evaluating the abovementioned results, it was estimated that the co-composting process headed sooner toward stability and maturity, Isolated microorganisms from both piles were identified as members of the genera Brevibacillus, Serratia, Klebsiella, and Aspergillus, whereas active thermotolerant diazotrophs were detected in both piles at the 2nd thermophilic phase emerging a promising prospect upon further evaluation for enhancing the end-product quality. Our findings indicate that co-composting is an interesting approach for the exploitation of large quantities of agro-industrial residues with a final product suitable for improving soil fertility and health.

KW - Co-composting parameters

KW - Microbial community dynamics

KW - Phylogenetic analysis

KW - Respiration rates

U2 - 10.1007/s10661-021-09422-2

DO - 10.1007/s10661-021-09422-2

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34508322

AN - SCOPUS:85114752442

VL - 193

JO - Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

JF - Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

SN - 0167-6369

IS - 10

M1 - 641

ER -