Waste Management & Research

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tolvanen, O. K.
Right arrow Articles by Villberg, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Tolvanen, O. K.
Right arrow Articles by Villberg, K.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Waste Management & Research, Vol. 16, No. 6, 525-540 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/0734242X9801600604

Occupational hygiene in biowaste composting

Outi K. Tolvanen

Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland

Kari I. Hänninen

Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland

Anja Veijanen

Department of Chemistry, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland

Kirsi Villberg

Department of Chemistry, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland

Source-separated biowastes from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area have been composted in open air windrows at Ammas suo, the Helsinki regional landfill in Espoo (Finland). The most significant problem encountered in the early stages of the process has been the formation of rancid odor causing human discomfort. The offensive odor was mainly due to car boxylic acids. A total of 110 organic compounds were detected in volatile emissions from windrow composts with an integrated sensory and instrumental method. Occasionally the temperatures in the windrows exceeded 80°C. Bacterial measurements also revealed substantial populations of bacte ria at 75°C. The concentrations of airborne microbes and endotoxins were highest during the crushing of fresh biowaste and the turning of compost, and were relatively high in sum mer and when windrows were dry. The most common fungi in the air were Aspergillus and Penicillium. Dust concentrations were consistently low. The concentrations of microbes were never so high as to constitute an acute health hazard from the occasional exposure. Continuous exposure to such concen trations nevertheless increases the risk of illness. The time, neccessary for the compost to become hygienic improved from four months to four weeks during the project. Drum composting was also tested and was found to be an alternative approach to treating organic wastes. Emissions from the drum composting were low compared to open air composting.

Key Words: Windrow • composting • drum composting • biowaste • microbes • fungi • bacteria • odors • hygienic


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?