Composting of waste biomass into substrates with enhanced humic acid content and optimized water holding capacity

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61989100%3A27710%2F25%3A10258126" target="_blank" >RIV/61989100:27710/25:10258126 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/61988987:17310/25:A2603B4N

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221334372501913X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221334372501913X?via%3Dihub</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.117217" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.jece.2025.117217</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Composting of waste biomass into substrates with enhanced humic acid content and optimized water holding capacity

Original language description

Biomass waste represents a renewable source of nutrients usable in agriculture. However, sewage sludge (SS) can be used for this purpose only to a limited extent due to the presence of pollutants. On the other hand, SS is a valuable source of organic matter and nutrients, particularly carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. This work aims to determine how the co-composting of SS with other waste biomass influences the presence of pollutants and accumulation of humic acids (HAs) in final substrates, and how the presence of HAs affects plant growth and soil water retention. The experiments consisted of full-scale composting trials using organic mixtures with SS and five different materials (wood chips, wood fiber, biodegradable waste, grass and sandy-clay soil). The mixtures underwent microbial co-composting over 120 days. Temperature was monitored over the entire composting process, along with any changes in the concentration of biologically relevant elements, including heavy metals. The levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and HAs were also tracked. Additionally, the final substrates were subjected to growth tests with spring barley. Substrates containing wood chips showed superior performance in terms of HAs content and plant growth parameters. Substrates enriched with HAs exhibited lower accumulation of PAHs and heavy metals, increased water retention and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency of plants under controlled drought conditions. This study highlights the potential of tailored co-composting processes to utilize waste biomass to produce substrates that not only mitigate soil degradation but also enhance agricultural sustainability.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

20400 - Chemical engineering

Project

<a href="/en/project/QK21010300" target="_blank" >QK21010300: Optimization of sludge treatment technology from municipal wastewater treatment plants with regard to their chemical and microbial composition and ability to retain water with the aim of their safe use on agricultural and forest land</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

ISSN

2213-2929

e-ISSN

2213-3437

Volume of the periodical

13

Issue of the periodical within the volume

4

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

11

Pages from-to

117217

UT code for WoS article

001500357000001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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