Abstract
Blue mussels containing some broken shells were degraded by Bacillus sp. HR6. Their net weight of 120.5 kg was reduced to 82.5 kg after 76h of degradation. Concentrations of the generated carbon dioxide and ammonia showed the peak values of 15, 000 and 720ppm after 12.5 and 58h, respectively. At 12.5h, the heat generation (as well as the generation of carbon dioxide) showed the peak value of 65 °C. The ratio of total amounts of carbon and nitrogen was 22.6 after 76h. Some of the heavy metals and chemical compounds, which cause the environmental pollution, were analyzed for the recycle of the product as a compost. We found that the concentrations of the compounds detected were much lower than those defined by the Japanese government for conserving the environment and protecting our health, so that the recycle of the product obtained seems to be legal and possible.