Wissanupong Kliengchauy. Phytotoxic assessment of a co-compost from different ratios of residue from the sweetener industry and food waste. Master's Degree(Environmental Sanitation). Mahidol University. Mahidol University Library and Knowledge Center. : Mahidol University, 2009.
Phytotoxic assessment of a co-compost from different ratios of residue from the sweetener industry and food waste
Abstract:
This research aimed to assess the phytotoxicity of co-compost produced from residue
from the sweetener industry and food waste. Food waste was collected from the Faculty of
Public Health cafeteria Mahidol University and residue from the sweetener industry was
obtained from MC-Towa International Sweeteners Co., Ltd., Thailand. The mixture ratios
between residue from sweetener industry and food waste were 0:100, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70 and
40:60. The composting time was processed until it reached the stable stage in 9 weeks. The
heavy metal contents in produced co-compost were determined for all mixture ratios. The
concentration of arsenic, lead, chromium and copper in produced co-compost were 3.26 -
7.81, 0.02 - 0.31, 0.79 - 3.03, and 1.60 - 4.78 mg/kg, respectively for mixture ratios of 0:100,
10:90, 20:80, 30:70 and 40:60, respectively. Contents of arsenic, lead and chromium in final
produced co-compost were significantly different among the mixture ratios (p-value<0.05).
The results of this study indicated that the contents of concern heavy metal met the
Thai, North America and European country compost standards. The major nutrients for
plantation; namely, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and total potassium, had average
contents in the range of 1.53 - 8.05, 0.18 - 0.48 and 0.0538 - 0.1026 %, respectively. The
moisture content, pH and C/N ratio of final co-compost were in the ranges of 0.39 - 0.64,
6.21-6.97 and 4.98 -18.03 %, respectively. The toxicity assessment by two types of
germination index indicated that only pH value in compost granule correlated significantly
with GI (r=0.563). Regarding the water extraction from compost technique, pH, C/N ratio
were positively related to GI, while lead was the inhibiting factor of mung bean seed growth.
The predictive equation of germination index by using water extraction from compost
technique was GI w =-8.771+12.716pH+8.409C/N+128.961P +47.448TKN-26.609Pb-4.952C-
1300.532K-0.874CEC (r=0.964, p-value=0.006).
Mahidol University. Mahidol University Library and Knowledge Center