“…COD, VM (Volatile material), starch, cellulose, C/N ratio, temperature, moisture content and oxygen consumption rate, Zhang et al (1988) put forward that the compost was mature when the oxygen consumption rate was about 0.02-0.1DO 2 % min − 1 , varying with the organic matter content. Li and Qian (1990) reviewed some factors of compost Table 6 Different aeration control strategies of composting (Miller and Finstein, 1985;Stentiford et al, 1985;Pereira-Neto et al, 1987;Leton and Stentiford, 1990;Zhang, 1994b;Stentiford et al, 1996) maturity and had a detailed discussion about the oxygen consumption rate as compost matured from the theory and calculation method. Li (1998) recommended lipid as the maturity index for sewage sludge compost after a study on NH 4 + -N, pH, lipid, starch, humus, cellulose, protein, but did not give any quantitative value.…”