Abstract
This study was performed to compare the effects of rice straw and towage sludge cake as bulking materials on temperature, pH, weight and volume reduction, porosity, C/N ratio, salinity, and conductivity in aerobic composting of food wastes. Volume ratios of food wastes to rice straw in reactor control, RS-1, RS-2, RS-3 and RS-4 were 4:0, 4:1, 4:2, 4:3 and 4:4, respectively. Weight ratios of food wastes to sewage sludge rake in reactor control, SL-1, SL-2, SL-3 and SL-4 were 4:0, 4:1, 4:2, 4:3 and 4:4, respectively. Reactors were operated for 24 days with 1 hour stirring by 1 rpm and 2 hours aeration per day. The values of pH of food waters, rice straw and sewage sludge cake were 4.39, 7.40 and 5.79, respectively. The lowering of the volume ratio of food wastes to rice straw resulted in the high reaction temperature and the fast weight and volume reduction rates. The lowering of the weight ratio of food wastes to sewage sludge cake resulted in the slow weight and volume reduction rates. C/N ratio in control was larger than that in rice straw containing reactors, and that in rice straw containing reactors was larger than that in sewage sludge cake containing reactors. Salinity and conductivity in reactors were condensed and increased by reaction days.
