Assessing the potential of using coal ash and bagasse ash as inorganic amendment in the composting process of municipal solid wastes: Improvements in compost quality for agronomic application
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1 November 2018
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Reference (Identifier)
MRR-18-00090
Title
Assessing the potential of using coal ash and bagasse ash as inorganic amendment in the composting process of municipal solid wastes: Improvements in compost quality for agronomic application
Mounting demand of electricity consumption, fuelled by the rapid modernisation and ever-growing population, has risen up the use of coal, with an inclination towards bagasse utilisation as well in the line of sustainable energy consumption. Improper disposal of ashes generated by the combustion of these energy sources is creating havoc and this has resulted in the quest of technologies that would swallow up and stabilise these ashes. In this respect, the use of coal ash and bagasse ash as amendment in the composting process was investigated. 10 composting drums were set up as follows: A -20% bagasse ash with unsorted municipal solid wastes (MSW); B-40% bagasse ash with unsorted MSW; C - unsorted MSW only; D -20% bagasse ash with sorted MSW; E - 40% bagasse ash with sorted MSW; F- sorted MSW only; G -20% coal ash with unsorted MSW; H - 40% coal ash with unsorted MSW; I -20% coal ash with sorted MSW and J- 40% coal ash with sorted MSW. Moisture content was maintained within 53.56-63.12% after first adjustment. Setups D, F, G and I achieved a retention time of at least 3 days above 550C with the following peak temperature: Dâ620C, Fâ570C, Gâ620C and I-580C. D and G resulted in the highest VS degradation of 68.59% and 58.41% to yield the highest volume reduction of 66.07 and 64.29% for the sorted and unsorted category respectively. Compost quality tests were performed on D, G, I and the controls C and F. All the composted masses were within range in terms of electrical conductivity (794-1771μS/cm) and pH (6.69-7.12) and exhibited comparable water holding capacities (183.18 â 216.79%). C/N ratio of sorted wastes was improved by the addition of 20% coal ash and bagasse ash. Higher Germination indices, all above 0.8%, were attributed to the ash-amended compost (D, G, I) as compared to their respective controls, indicating the feasibility and enhancement of using bagasse and coal ash as inorganic amendment in the composting process in the following proportion: 20% bagasse ash in sorted wastes and 20% coal ash in sorted and unsorted wastes. In terms of heavy metal content, while the composting mix G exceeded in final chromium concentration, the other ash amended wastes (D and I) showed compliance with the MS 164 standards indicating no problematic issue in land application of these composted masses.