Influence of Ultrasonic Field Parameters on the Biochemical Activity of Leachates from the Composting Process

Reuse of leachates by recycling them for composting is part of the circular economy. However, directly returning compost leachates to the mixture might increase the concentration of contaminants in the stabilized mass. The application of the ultrasonic modification of leachate was aimed at increasin...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2022-05, Vol.14 (9), p.5502
Main Authors: Worwąg, Małgorzata, Zawieja, Iwona
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Composting
Composts
Contaminants
Enzymatic activity
Enzymes
Laboratories
Leachates
Microbial activity
Microorganisms
Nutrient availability
Nutrients
Physiology
Pollutants
Sonication
Sustainability
Thermophilic microorganisms
Ultrasonic imaging
Vibration
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Reuse of leachates by recycling them for composting is part of the circular economy. However, directly returning compost leachates to the mixture might increase the concentration of contaminants in the stabilized mass. The application of the ultrasonic modification of leachate was aimed at increasing the activity of microorganisms and the availability of nutrients, and reducing the number of pathogenic species. The purpose of the work was to determine the impact of variable ultrasonic (time and amplitude) field parameters on the biochemical properties, and number of selected groups of microorganisms, of leachates from a composting process. The tests used short sonication times of 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 s and vibration amplitudes of 15.25, 30.5, and 46 µm. The assessment was made on the basis of changes in numbers of microbial communities (mesophilic, thermophilic, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and fungi) and enzymatic activity (dehydrogenases-DHA), as well as respiratory activity (AR). Based on the conducted research, it was found that the leachate sonication time of 60 s and amplitude 30.5 µm were the most effective. The above parameters were considered borderline, above which there were no significant differences in the values of the analyzed indicators.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su14095502