Abstract
This study was performed to compare the effects of chaff and sawdust as bulking materials on temperature, pH, weight and volume reduction and salinity in aerobic composting of food wastes. Volume ratios of food wastes to chaff in reactor of Control, Ch-l, Ch-2, Ch-3 and Ch-4 were 4:0, 4:1, 4:2, 4:3 and 4:4, respectively. Volume ratios of food wastes to sawdust in reactor of Control, Sd-l, Sd-2, Sd-3 and Sd-4 were 4:0, 4:1, 4:2, 4:3 and 4:4, respectively. Reactors were operated for 24 days with 1 hour stirring by 1 rpm and 2 hours aeration per day. The lowering of the volume ratio of food wastes to chaff and sawdust resulted in the reaction at higher reaction temperature and the elongation of the high temperature reaction period. The lowering of the volume ratio of food wastes to chaff and sawdust resulted in faster pH increase. In the volume ratio of 4:3 and 4:4, pH increased faster in food-chaff mixtures than in food-sawdust mixtures. The lowering of the volume ratio of food wastes to chaff and sawdust resulted in faster steady state in the weight reduction rate and the volume reduction rate. The weight reduction rates of chaff mixtures were higher than those of sawdust mixtures, but the volume reduction rates of sawdust mixtures were more higher than those of chaff mixtures. Salinity increased as composting reaction proceeded, due to reduction in mass weight. The final salinity of Control was 2.79%, and the final range of salinities of chaff and sawdust mixtures were 2.18∼2.37% and 1.86∼2.05%, respectively.
