Composting of Biosolids Enhanced by a Combined Pretreatment with Hydrogen Peroxide and Triton X-100

In this report, effects of oxidative pretreatment on the composting of biosolids were demonstrated. Pretreatment with 0.18 % hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in combination with 0.1 % Triton X-100 enhanced biodegradation of biosolid composting mixtures, including that of food factory waste-activated sludge (FFWAS), rice husk and mature compost in a ratio of 75:15:10 and paper mill-cellulosic sediment sludge (PMCSS), pig manure and mature compost in a ratio of 45:45:10. The composting process was monitored on the changes of several parameters, including temperature, carbon dioxide evolution, pH, organic matter content (volatile solids, VS), carbon/nitrogen ratio and microbe populations. Organic matters in FFWAS and PMCSS composting mixtures decreased at a rate of 0.42 and 0.33 % VS reduction day(-1), respectively. Both FFWAS and PMCSS composts were adequate for plant growth as shown by a maturity assay on day 20. Furthermore, initiation effect of H2O2 on the composting of biosolids was examined on FFWAS-rice husk mixture. The outcome indicated that biodegradability of organic matter increased by the combined pretreatment with Triton X-100 was affected by total amount of H2O2 applied with an optimum concentration as low as 0.18 %.