Transcript paper724088

Nafiisa SOBRATEE
PhD Candidate
Department of Agricultural and Production Systems
Faculty of Agriculture
UNIVERSITY OF MAURTIUS
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Background
Methodology
Results
Model justification
Discussion
Conclusion
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Compost sanitisation research dates back to several
decades
But issues associated with compost quality and
hygiene continue to be relevant as more waste will
have to be recycled for sustainability reasons.
The present work has been an attempt to respond to
the quest to improve the state of knowledge,
regarding the type of waste management to be
adopted in the poultry farming industry.
Aim: This study investigates differences in bacterial
growth response in broth amended with compostsubstrate extracts periodically bypassed during
broiler litter composting to mimic a contamination
scenario
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Compost samples, suspended in diluent
were mixed with 2X broth. Ampicillin
selective (0.3 g l-1) E. coli and E. faecalis
were separately seeded. Growth was
measured by viable cell count.
Microfit© application generated information
of direct microbiological interest: increasing
λ and decreasing µmax for both bacteria with
time.
TableCurve 3D v.4.0.05 software to obtain
a unifying model to identify regrowth
possibilities of the seeded enteric bacteria
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As a means to integrate the findings of this
research, an attempt was made to unify three
parameters of interest to poultry litter
composting in a mathematical relationship,
namely:
◦ explanatory variables:
 time of composting (to which the temperature
prevailing in the windrows is associated)
 the decomposition rate, k calculated from the
mathematical expression of Nielsen and Berthlsen
(2002) based on heat driven decomposition
◦ response variable = µmax, of inoculated enteric
bacteria (E. coli and E. faecalis) in submerged
culture with compost extracts of different maturity
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Post
thermophilic
high mumax
Post
thermophilic
high mumax
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The experiment has benchmarked the role of
the temporally-different compost extracts,
representing increasingly non-host
environments, in suppressing the growth of
seeded E. coli and E. faecalis.
The most salient outcome pertains to:
◦ the increase in lag time (E. coli: 1.78 h, E. faecalis:
1.28 h)
◦ decreasing maximum specific growth rate, µmax, (E.
coli: 0.95 h-1 h, E. faecalis: 0.69 h-1) for both
bacteria
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in the matured compost extract = Week 15
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 max
0.424
 2.942  0.093t  0.002t  0.0000114t 
k
2
3
 max  1.136  0.019t  0.0003t 2  0.00000177t 3  0.046 ln k
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R2 = 0.8190
R2 = 0.831
where,
[Eq 1]
[Eq 2]
[1]
[2]
◦ µmax = maximum specific growth rate (h-1)
◦ t
= time of composting (days)
◦ k
= decomposition rate (mg O2 g-1 VS) h-1
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Regrowth
potential present
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Regrowth
potential present
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By using simplifying idealisations as a compromise
between the complexity of the biological system and
the available data, a practically usable mathematical
relationship becomes available.
The use of fourth or even higher order polynomials
to represent the environment-dependence of kinetic
parameters may not necessarily upgrade a model
(Baranyi and Roberts, 1995).
Hence, in the present context, third order polynomial
functions have been fitted even though the R2
statistic values< 0.9.
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The most salient feature demonstrated by both E.
coli and E. faecalis is their propensity to have an
increased µmax in the broths corresponding to:
◦ Day 49 week 7(µmax = 1.66 h-1)
◦ Day 35 week 5((µmax = 0.92 h-1) respectively
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This occurred when temperatures <55 oC were
recorded in all windrows after the postthermophilic phase
the post-thermophilic environment permits a
boosted growth of both seeded enteric bacteria
preceded by decreasing µmax till Day 105.
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In E. coli, the decomposition rates of days 14, 22 & 49 are
very similar (1.014, 1.012, 1.064 mg O2 g-1 VS h-1
respectively), yet the µmax value (1.66 hr-1) for Day 49 is
highest of the three.
Therefore, decomposition rate (and by extension the
temperature) seem not to be responsible for this increased
rate of growth.
Plausible incriminating factor that can be attributable to this
effect = the ecology of the compost immediately after the
thermophilic phase  as a vacuum because of the subsiding
thermophilic ecology and the nascent stage of the 2nd
mesophilic microflora.
Due to this vacuum, the seeded E. coli is able to thrive
better, hence the increased µmax value for Day 49.
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By using, the maximum specific growth rate (µmax), a kinetic
parameters of bacterial multiplication rate under submerged
culture,  deduce = the indigenous microbial community
developed during composting is responsible for enteric
microflora deactivation.
This research has grown out of previous works to the extent
that it has identified, by means of mathematical functions, the
susceptibly weak points during the composting process where
the newly stabilised material may be prone to regrowth
especially when the composting ecosystem has not yet
established its post-thermophilic microflora.
Thus, a week-7 compost extract had the highest postthermophilic µmax value (1.66 h-1), indicating a higher risk for
upsurge for this time of composting in the event of shortcircuiting and/or contamination.
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The combined results of this work suggest
that the success of composting lies in its
being :
◦ optimally and thermodynamically triggered to
initiate the process
◦ maintain a thermophilic ceiling
◦ and managed (turning) such that all feedstock is
exposed to the hygienisation regime to prevent
 incomplete stabilisation
 short-circuiting
 regrowth of pathogens, especially at the onset of the
2nd mesophilic phase
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