Abstract
Experiments were conducted to confirm the effect of actinomycetes seed addition on high-rate composting and the suppression of odor from shredded garbage by the measuring of evolved lower fatty acids and so on. Four kinds of samples were used : Run A was a dried garbage sample with pH adjustment and initial moisture content of 68%; Run B was a sample with actinomycetes seeding content of 52%, which was the dry weight standard, and initial moisture content of 69%; Run C was a sample with actinomycetes seeding content of 58% and initial moisture content of 66% ; and Run D was a sample with actinomycetes seeding content of 70% and initial moisture content of 61%. A standard-issue, practical fermentor (in both scale and structure) was used. Each run was carried out for around 7 days on garbage sediment 300 mm in height under natural aeration and with periodic turning over using a scoop-type mixer. The greater the content of actinomycetes seeding was, as in Run A, B, C and D, the faster the fermentation process was promoted, at a high temperature. In addition, in the early stage maximum concentrations of lower fatty acids appeared ; these values were not a constant tendency in the four conditions. Furthermore, maximum concentrations of odor appeared in the early stage ; these values were similar in the four conditions. During the period of the experiments, the lower the moisture content was, the larger was the volume of actinomycetes retained in the initial samples. Whether the volume of actinomycetes was large or small made no difference in the effectiveness on degradation of lower fatty acids. These results suggest that the prepared seeding material is effective in the promotion of fermentation and the early decrease of odor formation, and actinomycetes themselves do not have a practical effect on the presuppression of odor formation.
