Kitchen waste from vegan households can be a raw material for home or backyard composting. However, the use of waste without components like eggshells or meat can constitute several problems, including the decrease of the process temperature and the content of Ca, N, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and S. The scientific aim of the study was to investigate possibility of production and applicability of vegan compost (VC) produced from kitchen waste during 12-weeks backyard composting. The VC properties have been compared to the traditional compost (TC), made from plant- and animal-origin waste materials. Analyzes showed that VC and TC have similar properties, reaching a pH close to 7.5, respiratory activity AT4 <2 mgO2‧(g dry mass)-1and dry matter content of ~79%. VC didn’t show any phytotoxic effect on garden cress; it was characterized by the highest seed germination (100%) and it stimulated the growth of plants’ roots. It was characterized by a higher content of phosphates, P and K, and achieved a lower BOD/COD ratio, demonstrating its maturity and low rotting potential. VC also contained less chloride, Ni, and Pb and showed a lower potential for nitrates leaching. The values of contaminants contained in VC samples didn't exceed the limit values for organic fertilizers. Therefore, studies indicated that plant-based kitchen waste can be a valuable substrate to produce compost and proved that vegan households, restaurants, and cafes are not disqualified from implementing a circular economy by using them assecondary material.
To date, only a few studies focused on carbon monoxide (CO) production during waste composting; all targeted on CO inside piles. Here, the CO net emissions from compost piles and the assessment of worker’s occupational risk of exposure to CO at large-scale composting plants are shown for the first time. CO net emissions were measured at two plants processing green waste, sewage sludge, or undersize fraction of municipal solid waste. Effects of the location of piles (hermetised hall vs. open yard) and turning (before vs. after) were studied. Higher CO net emission rates were observed from piles located in a closed hall. The average CO flux before turning was 23.25 and 0.60 mg‧m-2‧h-1 for hermetised and open piles, respectively, while after – 69.38 and 5.11 mg‧m-2‧h-1. The maximum CO net emissions occurred after the compost was turned (1.7x to 13.7x higher than before turning). The top sections of hermetised piles had greater CO emissions compared to sides. Additionally, 5% of measurement points of hermetised piles switched to ‘CO sinks’. The 1-h concentration in hermetised composting hall can reach max. ~50 mg CO∙m-3 before turning, and &gt;115 mg CO∙m-3 after, exceeding the WHO thresholds for a 1-h and 15-min exposures, respectively.
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