A culture method to detect non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) was optimized in this study. The finished dairy compost with 30% moisture content was inoculated with a cocktail of six non-O157 STEC serovars at initial concentrations of 1 to 100 CFU/g. Afterward, non-O157 STEC cells in the inoculated dairy compost were enriched by four methods, followed by plating onto cefixime...

The fungus Agaricus bisporus is commercially grown for the production of edible mushrooms. This cultivation occurs on compost, but not all of this substrate is consumed by the fungus. To determine why certain fractions remain unused, carbohydrate degrading enzymes, water-extracted from mushroom-grown compost at different stages of mycelium growth and fruiting body formation, were analyzed for t...

The application of compost or fertilizer at rates that exceed crop nutrient requirements can result in phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) accumulation in soil. This study was conducted to determine the influence of soil P and N contents on the concentrations and total amounts of P and N transported in runoff. Composted beef cattle feedlot manure or inorganic fertilizer were added from 1992 to 1995...

The potential for biosolids products to reduce Pb availability in soil was tested on a high Pb urban soil with biosolids from a treatment plant that used different processing technologies. High Fe biosolids compost and high Fe + lime biosolids compost from other treatment plants were also tested. Amendments were added to a Pb-contaminated soil (2000 mg kg(-1) Pb) at 100 g kg(-1) soil and incuba...

Four containerized deciduous ornamental shrubs [deutzia (Deutzia gracilis L.), silverleaf dogwood (Cornus nlba 'Elegantissima'), red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea L.), and ninebark (Physocarpirs optilifolius L.)] were grown during each of two separate growing seasons using 12 different immature (nonaged) composts as media (year one, 12 weeks from start of windrowing; year two, 16-weeks) and als...

Food demand and soil sustainability have become urgent concerns because of the impacts of global climate change. In subtropical and tropical regions, practical management that stabilizes and prevents organic fertilizers from rapid decomposition in soils is necessary. This study conducted a short-term (70 days) incubation experiment to assess the effects of biochar application on the decompositi...

Gas film mass transfer coefficients (kGat , kGaw) and liquid film mass transfer coefficients (kLaw) for packing materials used in biofilters and biotrickling filters for air pollution control were determined experimentally. Lava rock, polyurethane foam cube (PUF), Pall ring, porous ceramic beads, porous ceramic Raschig rings and compost–woodchips mixtures were investigated. The experiments were...

Compost tea describes a procedure where compost is mixed with water. The mixture may be left to stand with minimal disturbance, also called “compost extract” or “steepage”, or actively supplied with oxygen by an aquarium pump to stimulate population growth of aerobic microbes. This project examined actively aerated compost tea. Over a 3-year period, 25 experiments were conducted where a standar...

A simple, rapid and eco-friendly method has long been needed for evaluating the compost stability because application of unstable compost in agricultural field causes phytotoxicity. Thus, the CIELAB variables L*, a*, b*, a* x b*, a* / b*, 2000a* / (L* x b*), 1000a* / (L* + b*), chroma (C*ab), hue (hab) and color difference (∆E00) in dried (70oC) and ground composting materials (particle size ≤ ...

The distribution of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in cattle, swine, and chicken manure compost was analyzed. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) showed that a Candidatus Nitrososphaera gargensis-like sequence dominated in cattle manure compost, while few AOA were detected in other composts. In the case of AOB, Nitrosomonas-like sequences were detected with hi...