Composting of Water Hyacinth using a Pilot Scale Rotary
Drum Composter |
Waikhom Roshan Singh, Ayan Das, and Ajay Kalamdhad† |
Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati-781039, India |
Corresponding Author:
Ajay Kalamdhad ,Tel: +91-361-258-2431, Fax: +91-361-258-2440, Email: kalamdhad@gmail.com |
Received: November 30, 2011; Accepted: May 17, 2012. |
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ABSTRACT |
Composting of water hyacinth, mixed with cattle manure, rice husk and sawdust in four different proportions, was performed in a
pilot scale rotary drum composter. The physico-chemical characteristics, i.e., temperature, moisture content, pH, electrical conductivity,
total organic matter (OM), nitrogen dynamics and nutrients were evaluated during the 20 days composting process. The stabilities of
the composts were also investigated with respirometric analysis, i.e., CO2 evolution rates and oxygen uptake rate (OUR). Among all trials,
trial 1 (6 water hyacinth, 3 cattle manure, 1 rice husk) indicated the best composting mix, as shown by the highest temperature profile
and OM loss, and lowest CO2 evolution rate and OUR. |
Keywords:
Cattle manure | Composting | Rotary drum | Stability | Water hyacinth |
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