Page 113 - IJES Special Issues for AIEC2016

International Journal of Environment and Sustainability, 2016, 5(2): 12-17 13

and steadiness during the composting process Compost Plant, Sharjah Municipality
have a major influence on the quality of the
compost produced (Grigatti et al., 2011 and De The compost plant in Sharjah Municipality uses
Guardia et al., 2010). treated sewage sludge and green waste for
composting. The plant mixes these two wastes
Different kinds of unprocessed waste have with equal volume in a windrow composting
different characteristics that high-quality com- process. The composting process takes
post needs. The required quality of efficient approximately four weeks. The compost is used
compost can be acquired by optimizing the throughout the green spaces within the Sharjah
suitable proportions of different types of Government.
organic waste in the compost (De Guardia et al.,
2010). 2. Materials and Methodologies

Urban untreated waste is usually not dense with Materials
a relative superior carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N)
ratio, whereas the sewage sludge has a dense Sewage sludge, food waste and green waste
structure with high moisture content and low were used in this study for co-composting.
(C/N) ratio (Bernai et al., 1998). Therefore, Representative food waste samples were
sewage sludge needs a bulking agent to soak up collected from the various sources at the
the moisture. Green waste is absorbent in American University of Sharjah campus. The
nature and has a required carbon-to-nitrogen green waste is normally collected in the city of
ratio (Hogland et al., 2003). Sharjah and stored in the compost plant. Green
waste was collected from the compost plant.
The objective of the paper was to assess the The activated sludge was produced at the
potential mixing of sewage sludge, green waste Sharjah Municipality’s wastewater treatment
and food waste for effective co-composting for plant and its treated bio solids were collected
the municipality of Sharjah, UAE. Characteristics from the compost plant for this study.
of these wastes were used to investigate the Waste samples were characterized based on
potential mixing proportions. standard analytical methods (Table 1). Samples
were tested at the compost plant laboratory of
Table 1 Sharjah Municipality.

Standard test methods (Agricultural Analytical Service Laboratory, 2015)

Analyte Method Reference
% Solids, SM 2540 G Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 1992. 18th
% Moisture (Dried at 105°C) Edition, American Public Health Association, 1015 Fifteenth Street, NW,
pH Washington, DC 20005.
Soluble Salts TMECC 4.11-A Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost, USDA and U.S.
Organic Matter (1:5 w:w slurry) Composting Council. 2002.
Total Nitrogen TMECC 4.10-A Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost, USDA and U.S.
Total Carbon (1:5 w:w slurry) Composting Council. 2002.
Phosphorus TMECC 05.07-A Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost, USDA and U.S.
Ammonium-N (Loss on Ignition) Composting Council. 2002.
TMECC 4.02-D Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost, USDA and U.S.
(Combustion) Composting Council. 2002.
TMECC 4.02-D Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost, USDA and U.S.
(Combustion) Composting Council. 2002.
TMECC 4.03-A Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost, USDA and U.S.
Composting Council. 2002.
TMECC 4.02-C Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost, USDA and U.S.
(1:5 w:w slurry) Composting Council. 2002.

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