RT Journal Article
T1 Assessment of compost maturity by using an electronic nose
A1 López Núñez, Rafael
A1 Giráldez Díaz, Inmaculada
A1 Palma López, Alberto
A1 Díaz Blanco, Manuel Jesús
AB The composting process produces and emits hundreds of different gases. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can provide information about progress of composting process. This paper is focused on the qualitative and quantitative relationships between compost age, as sign of compost maturity, electronic-nose (e-nose) patterns and composition of compost and composting gas at an industrial scale plant. Gas and compost samples were taken at different depths from composting windrows of different ages. Temperature, classical chemical parameters, O2, CO, combustible gases, VOCs and e-nose profiles were determined and related using principal component analysis (PCA). Factor analysis carried out to a data set including compost physical–chemical properties, pile pore gas composition and composting time led to few factors, each one grouping together standard composting parameters in an easy to understand way. PCA obtained from e-nose profiles allowed the classifying of piles, their aerobic–anaerobic condition, and a rough estimation of the composting time. That would allow for immediate and in-situ assessment of compost quality and maturity by using an on-line e-nose. The e-nose patterns required only 3–4 sensor signals to account for a great percentage (97–98%) of data variance. The achieved patterns both from compost (chemical analysis) and gas (e-nose analysis) samples are robust despite the high variability in feedstock characteristics (3 different materials), composting conditions and long composting time. GC–MS chromatograms supported the patterns.
PB Elsevier
SN 0956-053X
SN 1879-2456
YR 2015
FD 2015
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10272/11453
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10272/11453
LA eng
NO López Núñez, R., Giráldez Díaz, I., Palma López, A., Díaz Blanco, M. J.: "Assessment of compost maturity by using an electronic nose". Waste Management, (2015). DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2015.09.039
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 1 jun 2026