The Influence of Aeration Ratio on Energetic Aspects of Composting Process of Sewage Sludge With Agricultural Waste

Abstract

Composting process of sewage sludge is one of the most common methods in the world for sludge management. Due to, inter alia, unfavorable ratio of carbon to nitrogen and the high hydration, sludge waste requires usually additional preparation before composting process. Especially in agricultural areas, the use of agricultural waste seems to be beneficial to improve the properties of the compost mixture. Such co-substrates will create favorable water and air conditions inside the pile or in-vessel. In addition to the composition of the mixture, another important aspect is the appropriate aerating of the compost. It depends on what time and how effective will be the composting process. The aim of the work was to present the influence of aeration ratio on energetic aspects of composting process of sewage sludge with agricultural biomass. In this case maize straw was the structural addition. COMPOSTING OF SEWAGE SLUDGE WITH AGRICULTURAL WASTE Reducing the number of livestock farming has contributed to the decline in the production of natural fertilizers, which resulted in the search for alternative, environmentally safe sources of organic matter, which can be composted sludge, processed into fertilizer in agriculture (Szwedziak 2006).