Structural transformation study of water-extractable organic matter during the industrial composting of cattle manure

Various spectroscopic approaches were used to characterize the evolution of water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) during cattle manure composting. Using the results of spectroscopic characterization as bases, multivariate statistical analysis was performed to investigate the correlation among the different parameters related to organic matter transformation. The results show that the composting process degraded lignin, aliphatics, alcohols, and protein-like materials, and increased the amount of water-extractable aromatic compounds and humic-like materials, as well as the humification degree of cattle manure. The degradation process primarily occurred during the first few days of composting, whereas the formation of fulvic- and humic-like substances took place during the later stages. The spectroscopic parameters obtained from the WEOM analysis were divided into two groups: one describes the state of decomposition. and the other reflects the stabilization and maturation of the compost. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.