BIOLOGICAL STABILITY ANALYSIS OF THE OFMSW MATRIX TREATED IN A COMPOSTING PLANT

Abstract

Composting, mechanical-biological treatment (MBT), biodrying and biostabilization processes of pre-selected organic fraction from municipal solid wastes (OFMSW) have recently become important in municipal solid waste management. Through these treatment processes the potential impacts of the produced wastes and the volume to treat in the landfill are strongly reduced. However, the residual organic matter contained in the treated fraction may provide negative effects when e.g. the treated OFMSW is used as compost. The biological stability degree of the treated matrix provides usefull informations for the final use of it. Indeed, knowing the degree of biological stability of the compost makes possible to evaluate, for example, the re-growth of patogenous or the fitotossicity of the matrix. In this context, the paper presents the monitoring of the quality state (in term of biological stability) of the OFMSW treated in a composting plant in Sicily. The study was performed into different periods: during the plant start-up and during the first subsequent operation period. The assessment of the biological stability of the matrices has been performed throughout the Dynamic Respiration Index (DRI).