Performance On Nitrogen Rich Component for Composting of Food Waste

¹ Faculty of Civil Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, 02600 Arau, Malaysia
² Sustainable Environment Research Group (SERG), Centre of Excellence Geopolymer and Green Technologies (CEGeoGTech), Universiti Malaysia Perlis, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia.
³ E-Idaman Sdn. Bhd. Wisma Idaman, Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia.
⁴ National Instiute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection, Splaiul Independenţei 294, Bucharest, Romania, 060031

^* Corresponding author: irnis@unimap.edu.my

Abstract

Nitrogen-rich components are crucial to achieving successful composting. The problem lies in the lack of comprehensive understanding and evaluation of the performance of different nitrogen-rich components used in composting food waste. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of nitrogen-rich components (NRC) (cow dung, tea leaves, and coffee ground) for composting food waste in terms of compost quality (temperature, moisture content, nutrients content, and plant growth height). The materials used in composting are 1kg of NRC, 1kg of black soil, 1kg of rice husk, 2kg of food waste, and 1 L of Takakura EM in every compost bin. A total of 4 composts were examined, such as compost A (cow dung), B (coffee ground), C (tea leaves), and D (blank). During the composting process, all parameters of the compost were examined, and data collected. Firstly, total nitrogen (N) content results for compost A, B, C, and D are 1.2%, 1.6%, 3%, and 0.7%, respectively, whereas total phosphorus (P) content in compost A, B, C, and D is 3.7 mg/L, 3.8 mg/L, 5 mg/L, and 3.01 mg/L. Lastly, the potassium (K) content in compost A, B, C, and D is 4.56 mg/L, 4.1 mg/L, 5.13 mg/L, and 4.6 mg/L, respectively. Based on the data analysis, Compost C is the most effective compost compared to other NRC compost.