Microbially-enhanced composting of olive mill solid waste (wet husk): Bacterial and fungal community dynamics at industrial pilot and farm level

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2013-04, Vol.134, p.10-16
• Main Authors: Agnolucci, M., Cristani, C., Battini, F., Palla, M., Cardelli, R., Saviozzi, A., Nuti, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Applied sciences; Bacteria; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - metabolism; Bacterial and fungal diversity; bacterial communities; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of sewage sludges and wastes; Biotechnology; biotransformation; Cluster Analysis; composting; Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungal communities; Fungi - genetics; Fungi - metabolism; genes; hulls; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Industrial Waste - analysis; Microbial dynamics; Olea; Olea - chemistry; Olive mill solid waste; olives; PCR-DGGE; Phylogeny; Pilot Projects; Pollution; raw materials; ribosomal RNA; Soil - chemistry; Solid Waste - analysis; solid wastes; Temperature; Wastes; Wet husk
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.02.022

► Community dynamics analysed by DGGE along composting wet husk at pilot and farm level. ► Starters enhanced transformation and increased earlier bacterial diversity. ► High diversity in thermic phase was a typical trait of wet husk transformation. Bacterial and fungal community dynamics during microbially-enhanced composting of olive mill solid waste (wet husk), used as a sole raw material, were analysed in a process carried out at industrial pilot and at farm level by the PCR-DGGE profiling of the 16 and 26S rRNA genes. The use of microbial starters enhanced the biotransformation process leading to an earlier and increased level of bacterial diversity. The bacterial community showed a change within 15days during the first phases of composting. Without microbial starters bacterial biodiversity increased within 60days. Moreover, the thermophilic phase was characterized by the highest bacterial biodiversity. By contrast, the biodiversity of fungal communities in the piles composted with the starters decreased during the thermophilic phase. The biodiversity of the microbial populations, along with physico-chemical traits, evolved similarly at industrial pilot and farm level, showing different maturation times.