Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the roles of co-existed organic materials (OM) with different biodegradability in composting of cattle manure in terms of $CO_2$ emission and $NH_3$ volatilization. Either sawdust (SD, low biodegradability) or rice bran (RB, high biodegradability) was mixed with cattle manure at a various rate and the amounts of $CO_2$ emission and $NH_3$ volatilization were determined periodically during 4 weeks of composting. Percentage of dry matter loss during the composting period was also calculated. The amount of $CO_2$ emitted increased with increasing rate of OM and was significantly (P<0.01) higher in the RB treatment than in the SD treatment by 43 to 122% depending on the rate of OM Accordingly, % of dry matter loss during 4 weeks of composting was higher in the RB (rang: from 35.1 % to 41.5%) than that in the SD treatments (from 18.7% to 22.6%), showing that RB is more biodegradable than SD. During the early composting period up to 8 days, negligible amount of ammonia volatilization was detected in both treatments regardless of application rates. In the RB treatment, substantial amount of ammonia volatilization was detected thereafter, however, no meaningful ammonia volatilization was observed in the SD treatment until the end of composting. Such differences could be attributed to the different properties of SD and RB. For example, the high C/N ratio of SD could enhance $NH_4^+$ immobilization and thus decrease $NH_4^+$ concentration that is susceptible to ammonia volatilization. Binding of $NH_4^+$ on to phenolic compounds of SD may also contribute to the decrease in $NH_4^+$ concentration. Meanwhile, as RB has a relatively low C/N ratio, remineralization of immobilized $NH_4^+$ could increase $NH_4^+$ concentration as high as the level for the occurrence of ammonia volatilization. Therefore, our study suggests that OM which is resistant to biodegradation can reduce $NH_3$ volatilization largely by physico-chemical pathways across the entire composting period and that easily biodegradable OM can retard $NH_3$ volatilzation via microbial immobilization in the early period of composting followed by rapid remineralization, leading to substantial volatilization of $NH_3$ in the middle stage of composting.
퇴비화 과정 중 암모니아 휘산과 관련된 난분해성 및 이분해성 유기물의 역할을 재조명하기 위해 분뇨와 톱밥(난분해성) 또는 쌀겨(이분해성)를 혼합한 후 4주간 $CO_2$ 발생량과 $NH_3$ 휘산량을 조사하였다. 이산화탄소 발생량은 톱밥처리구에 비해 쌀겨처리구에서 43$\sim$122% 정도 높았으며, 이에 상응하게 최종 건물중 손실률도 쌀겨처리구가 35.1$\sim$41.5%로 톱밥처리구의 18.7$\sim$22.6%에 비해 유의하게(P$\sim$0.05) 높았다. 톱밥처리구에서는 시험기간인 4주간 암모니아 휘산이 발생하지 않았는데, 이는 톱밥의 C/N 비가 높아 질소무기화가 지체되었고 톱밥 자체가 $NH_4^+$를 흡착할 수 있는 능력이 있기 때문으로 판단되었다. 반면, 이분해성인 쌀겨 처리구에서는 퇴비화 초기에는 질소부동화에 의해 암모니아 휘산이 나타나지 않았지만, 8일 이후부터는 쌀겨처리량이 낮은 순서대로 이분해성 유기물의 고갈에 의한 질소재무기화에 의해 암모니아 휘산이 관측되었다. 따라서, 이분해성 유기물은 초기 암모니아 부동화를 통해 암모니아 휘산을 감소시킬 수 있지만, 부동화된 질소의 재무기화에 의해 퇴비화 중반기에 오히려 암모니아 휘산이 증가할 수 있는 것으로 나타났다. 반면, 난분해성 유기물인 톱밥은 암모니아 고정능이 있어 물리화학적 흡착에 의해 암모니아 휘산을 저감시킬 수 있는 것으로 판단되었다.
