A V-shaped (Vs) pipe was improvised for composting of chicken litter in passive aeration piles. Three piles, equipped with horizontal (Ho), vertical (Ve) and Vs pipes were set up. The three treatments were replicated thrice. The effects of the aeration pipe on the physico-chemical properties of chicken litter and air distribution within the composting piles were investigated during composting. The properties monitored were temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content, total carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Moisture level in the piles was replenished fortnightly to 60% during composting. The results of the study showed that all the piles attained the optimum temperature range (40-65°C) for effective composting and satisfied the requirements for sanitation. The non-significant (p > 0.05) temperature difference within the piles with Ve and Vs pipes indicated that these pipes were effective for uniform air distribution within the pile. The aeration pipe had significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on pile temperature, pre-replenishment moisture content, pH and total phosphorus. In conclusion, the study showed that the Vs pipe is feasible and effective for passive aeration composting.
APHA (American Public Health Association) ( 1995) Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater , 19th edn. Washington, DC, USA: APHA.
2.
Barrington S., Choiniere D., Trigui M. and Knight W. ( 2002) Effect of carbon source on compost nitrogen and carbon losses. Bioresource Technology83: 189-194.
3.
Brake, JD ( 1992) A Practical Guide for Composting Poultry Litter . MAFES Bulletin981. www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/guide_poultry_litter.pdf (accessed September 2007).
4.
Bremner JM ( 1996) Nitrogen-total. In: Sparks DL (ed.) Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 3 - Chemical Methods . Madison, WI, USA: SSSA Inc. , ASA Inc, 1085-1122.
5.
Campbell AG, Folk RL and Tripepi R. ( 1997) Wood ash as an amendment in municipal sludge and yard waste composting processes. Compost Science and Utilization5: 62-73.
6.
Cayuela ML, Sanchez-Monedero MA and Roig A. ( 2006) Evaluation of two different aeration systems for composting two-phase olive mill wastes. Process Biochemistry41: 616-623.
7.
CCQC (California Compost Quality Council) ( 2001) Compost Maturity Index, Technical Report . Nevada City, CA USA: CCQC.
8.
Charest MH and Beauchamp CJ ( 2002) Composting of de-inking paper sludge with poultry manure at three nitrogen levels using mechanical turning: behaviour of physico-chemical parameters. Bioresource Technology81: 7-17.
9.
de Bertoldi M., Vallini G. and Pera A. ( 1983) The biology of composting. Waste Management and Research1: 157-176.
10.
Fang M., Wong JWC, Ma KK and Wong MH ( 1999) Co-composting of sewage sludge and coal ash: nutrient transformation. Bioresource Technology67: 19-24.
11.
Fernandes L., Zhan W., Patni NK and Juli PY ( 1994) Temperature distribution and variation in passively aerated static compost piles. Bioresource Technology48: 257-263.
12.
Hansen RC, Keener HM and Hoitink HAJ ( 1989) Poultry manure composting: An exploratory study . Transactions of the ASAE32: 2152-2157.
13.
Hassen A., Belguith K., Jedidi N. and Cherif A. ( 2001) Microbial characterization during composting of municipal solid waste. Bioresource Technology80: 217-225.
14.
Haug RT ( 1993) The Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering. Boca Raton, FL, USA: Lewis Publishers .
15.
Hoornweg D., Thomas L. and Otten L. ( 2000) Composting and its Applicability in Developing Countries . 8th Working Paper Series, Urban Waste Management . Washington DC, USA: Published for the Urban Development Division, The World Bank .
16.
Imbeah M. ( 1998) Composting piggery wastes: a review. Bioresource Technology63: 197-203.
17.
Lasaridi K., Protopapa I., Kotsou M., Pilidis G., Manios T. and Kyriacou A. ( 2006) Quality assessment of composts in the Greek market: the need for standards and quality assurance. Journal of Environmental Management80: 58-65.
18.
Liang Y., Leonard JJ, Feddes JJR and McGill WB ( 2006) Influence of carbon and buffer amendment on ammonia volatilization in composting. Bioresource Technology97: 748-761.
19.
Lyncht NJ and Cherry RS ( 1996) Design of passively aerated compost piles: vertical air velocities between the pipes. Biotechnology Program12: 624-629.
20.
Mercer WA and Rose WW ( 1968) Investigation of Windrow Composting as a Meansfor Disposal of Fruit Waste Solid. Washington, DC, USA: National Canners Association Research Foundation.
21.
Metcalf and Eddy Inc (2003) Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse. 4th edition. New York, USA: McGraw-Hill , 1546-1554.
22.
Misra RV, Roy RN and Hiraoka H. ( 2003) On-farm Composting Methods. FAO corporate document repository . Web page, available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5104e/y5104e05.htm (accessed September 2007).
23.
Ogunwande GA, Ogunjimi LAO and Fafiyebi JO ( 2008a) Effects of turning frequency on composting of chicken litter in turned windrow piles. International Agrophysics22: 159-165.
24.
Ogunwande GA, Osunade JA, Adekalu KO and Ogunjimi LAO ( 2008b) Nitrogen loss in chicken litter compost as affected by carbon to nitrogen ratio and turning frequency. Bioresource Technology99: 7495-7503.
25.
Paredes C., Bernal MP, Cegarra J., Roig A. and Navarro AF ( 1996) Nitrogen transformation during the composting of different organic wastes. In: Van Cleemput O, Vermoesen G and Hofman A (eds.) Progress in Nitrogen Cycling Studies. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers , 121-125.
26.
Paredes C., Roig A., Bernal MP, Sanchez-Mondero MA and Cegarra J. ( 2000) Evolution of organic matter and nitrogen during co-composting of olive mill wastewater with solid organic wastes. Biology and Fertity of Soils32: 222-227.
27.
Rynk R., van de Kamp M., Wilson GB, Singley ME, Richard TL, Kolega JJ, et al. (1992) On-farm Composting. Ithaca, NY, USA: Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Services.
28.
Said-Pullicino D., Erriquens FG and Gigliotti G. ( 2007) Changes in the chemical characteristics of water-extractable organic matter during composting and their influence on compost stability and maturity. Bioresource Technology98: 1822-1831.
29.
Sanchez-Monedero MA, Bernal MP, Roig A., Cegarra J. and Garcia D. ( 1996) The effectiveness of the Rutgers system and the addition of bulking agent in reducing N-losses during composting. In: Van Cleemput O, Hofman G and Vermoesen A (eds.) Progress in Nitrogen Cycling Studies. Dordrecht , The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic, 133-139.
30.
Sanchez-Monedero MA, Roig A., Parades C. and Bernal MP ( 2001) Nitrogen transformation during organic waste composting by the Rutgers system and its effects on pH, EC and maturity of the composting mixtures. Bioresource Technology78: 301-308.
31.
Sartaj M., Fernandes L. and Patni NK ( 1997) Performance of forced, passive, and natural aeration methods for composting manure slurries. Transactions of the ASAE40: 457-463.
32.
SAS (2002) Statistical Analysis Software Guide for Personal Computers. Cary, NC, USA: Release 9.1. SAS Institute Inc.
33.
Silva ME, Lemos LT, Cunha-Queda AC and Nunes OC (2009) Co-composting of poultry manure with low quantities of carbon-rich materials. Waste Management and Research27: 119-128.
34.
Solano ML, Iriarte F., Ciria P. and Negro MJ ( 2001) Performance characteristics of three aeration systems in the composting of sheep manure and straw. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research79: 317-329.
35.
Sundberg C., Smars S., and Jonsson H. ( 2004) Low pH as an inhibiting factor in the transformation from mesophilic to thermophilic phase in composting. Bioresource Technology95: 145-150.
36.
Sylla YB, Cho KJ, Watanabe T. and Kuroda M. ( 2003a) Development of a novel passive aeration composting reactor equipped with vertical perforated pipes. In: Lowe P, Horan N and Dudson JA (eds): Biosolids 2003. Proceedings of the Joint CIWEM and Aqua Enviro Technology Transfer, Eighth European Biosolids and Organic Residuals Conference, 23-26 November, Volume 1: Session 3, Paper 12, pp. 1-9, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK.
37.
Sylla YB, Watanabe T., Cho KJV and Kuroda M. ( 2003b) Effect of the number of the vertical pipes for the passive aeration on the composting rate. Journal of Water and Environmental Technology1: 225-232.
38.
Sylla YB, Kuroda M., Yamada M. and Matsumoto N. ( 2006) Feasibility study of a passive aeration reactor equipped with vertical pipes for compost stabilization of cow manure. Waste Management and Research24: 456-464.
39.
Tiquia SM ( 2002) Microbial transformation of nitrogen during composting . In: Insam H, Riddech N and Klammer S (eds.) Microbiology of Composting and Other Biodegradation Processes. Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany: Springer-Verlag, 237-245.
40.
Tiquia SM and Tam NFY ( 2000) Fate of nitrogen during composting of chicken litter . Environmental Pollution110: 535-541.
41.
Tiquia SM and Tam NFY ( 2002) Characterization and composting of poultry litter in forced-aeration piles. Process Biochemistry37: 869-880.
42.
Tiquia SM, Tam NFY and Hodgkiss IJ ( 1998) Changes in chemical properties during composting of spent litter at different moisture contents. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment67: 79-89.
43.
Walker F. ( 2004) On-farm composting of poultry litter. The Agricultural Extension Service, The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, USA. http://www.utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/Info%20319.pdf (accessed September, 2007).
44.
Wortmann CS, Shapiro CA and Tarkalson DD ( 2006) Composting manure and other organic residues. Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. Web page, available at: http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1315/build/g1315.pdf (accessed July 2008).
45.
Yamada Y. and Kawase Y. ( 2006) Aerobic composting of waste activated sludge: kinetic analysis for microbial reaction and oxygen consumption. Waste Management26: 49-61.
46.
Yu S., Clark OG and Leonard JJ ( 2006) Airflow in passively aerated compost. Paper no. 06113. American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) Annual Meeting. MI, USA: American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph .
47.
Zhu NW, Deng CY, Xiong YZ and Qian HY ( 2004) Performance characteristics of three aeration systems in the swine manure composting. Bioresource Technology95: 319-326.
