TY  - JOUR
A1  - Nada, Wael Mohamed Abdel-Rahman
A1  - Van Rensburg, L.
A1  - Claassens, Sarina
A1  - Blumenstein, Oswald
A1  - Friedrich, A.
T1  - Evaluation of organic matter stability in wood compost by chemical and thermogravimetric analysis
JF  - International journal of environmental research
N2  - This study investigated maturation and stability levels during composting of Quercus robur (QR) woodchips mixed with different nitrogen sources (horse manure, HM and lake mud, LM) for potential agronomic utilisation. The woodchips were mixed with HM and LM, respectively, at mixing ratios of 1QR:2HM or QR:2LM. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse over 100 days. During composting, organic carbon and its fractioning and humification constituents were quantified. In the final compost product, pH, organic matter (OM), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and selected available nutrients were measured. Thermostability of compost, compared with that of soil and compost mixed with charcoal were also quantified. Results showed OM evolution during the composting process with total organic and extractable carbons and humification indices decreasing, while the degree of humification increased. Compost produced from the 1QR:2HM mix resulted in the highest available nutrients, CEC and OM content values in the final product. Thermogravimetric profiles indicated that compost OM thermostability was higher than that in soil and higher for the 1QR:2HM than the 1QR:2LM mix. Application of charcoal revealed no additional stabilising effect of OM in wood compost.
KW  - Earthworms
KW  - Humification
KW  - Maturity
KW  - Vermicompost
KW  - Woodchips
Y1  - 2012
SN  - 1735-6865
VL  - 6
IS  - 2
SP  - 425
EP  - 434
PB  - Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Theran
CY  - Tehran
ER  -