Characterization of physicochemical parameters and bacterial diversity of composted organic food wastes in Dubai

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Heliyon

Publication Date

6-1-2023

Abstract

Composting favours recycling organic waste and producing an end product with high bioenergy potential and significant nutritional value for the soil. Analysing composted organic waste prepared in Dubai, a region with a desertic climate and a unique environment is essential since environmental conditions can greatly affect the physicochemical and biological soil properties and no studies in the Gulf region have been published yet on that process. This study analysed twelve different compost samples prepared in well ventilated wooden chambers, using home-generated organic wastes following the hot aerobic composting method for a duration of three months. The physicochemical parameters, measured at the end of the study, revealed that organic matter, electrical conductivity and pH were within the standard ranges while moisture content was low. Concerning macronutrients, most of the samples were within the standard range for carbon, potassium and sodium, while they were poor in phosphorous and nitrogen. Metagenomic analysis with Illumina MiSeq revealed the abundance of Firmicutes (30.35%), followed by Bacteroidota (26.69%), Proteobacteria (21.47%), and Actinobacteriota (11.17%). The phylum Planctomycetota, solely detected in compost and known to have a significant impact on soil ecosystem and decomposition of organic matter, was reported at a relatively significant level (2.35%). The Clostridia class, efficient in degrading cellulose, was described at high levels compared to other studies. The composting project succeeded in generating a healthy soil but lengthening the duration will allow the samples to fully decompose and therefore increase the total available nitrogen and phosphorus to meet the criteria of a typical mature compost. Various microbial consortia helped in the decomposition process. The qualitative information collected in this study will help in improving the composting technology to favour its utilization by a larger public in the Gulf region.

ISSN

2405-8440

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Volume

9

Issue

6

First Page

e16426

Last Page

e16426

Disciplines

Life Sciences

Keywords

Compost, Environmental bacteria, Waste management, Physico-chemical property, 16S rRNA sequencing, ECElectrical Conductivity, Electrical Conductivity, ASVAmplicon Sequence Variants, Amplicon Sequence Variants, OTUsOuter Taxonomic Units, Outer Taxonomic Units, NANot Assigned, Not Assigned

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

no

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS