Mathematics in Education, Research and Applications (MERAA), 2020(6), 1

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Published online 2020-07-08
DOI:https://doi.org/10.15414/meraa.2020.06.01.18-24

Influence of biodegradation process on methane formation and composting efficiency

Peter Hlinka, Ingrid Karandušovská, Dušan Páleš, Štefan Mihina
Ponitrie Villages Local Union for Waste Separation and Management, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic

Article Fulltext (PDF), pp. 18–24: In this study, the aim was to analyze the production of methane (CH4) during the degradation process in three piles of biowaste (V1, V2, V3) and to determine the efficiency of the used biowaste treatment technology. The biowaste treatment technology in reference pile V1 was untreated. In the second pile V2, a biological preparation containing probiotic bacteria was applied and the sample V3 was treated by turning and watering once a week. Degassing shafts were installed in each pile to measure of methane concentrations during the degradation process. The Multigas Monitor 1312 gas analyzer with the Multipoint Sampler 1309 was used to measure of the methane production in the first, fourth and seventh week. The production of methane had an increasing trend throughout the process. In the V1 pile (34.60 mg/square m, 66.25 mg/square m and 115.85 mg/square m), but much more in the V3 pile (32.81 mg/square m, 220.97 mg/square m and 325.89 mg/square m). In the V2 pile with biodegradable preparation, the highest methane production was at fourth week (42.35 mg/square m, 116.28 mg/square m and 72.83 mg/square m). In the fourth and seventh week, statistically higher values of methane concentrations were recorded from the V3 pile, than from V1 and V2 piles (P < 0.05). Although the mechanically treated method resulted in the highest release of harmful gas, the most efficient way of biowaste treatment was shown in the V3 pile, where the percentage of sieving residues was only 18.44 %, in the V2 pile it was 25.22 % and up to 32.12 % in the untreated V1 pile.; Keywords: methane in compost, composting technology, composting process, temperature measuring; JEL Classification: Q15