Q?: A activity through which garbages are segregated from grains then divided with the help of dimensions fragments? Which is the methodology of this system? How? [With Explanation]
Answers
Explanation:
Composting is the controlled conversion of degradable organic products and wastes into
stable products with the aid of microorganisms. Composting is a long-used technology, though it has
some shortcomings that have reduced its extensive usage and efficiency. The shortcomings include
pathogen detection, low nutrient status, long duration of composting, long mineralization duration,
and odor production. These challenges have publicized the use of chemical fertilizers produced
through the Haber–Bosch process as an alternative to compost over time. Chemical fertilizers make
nutrients readily available to plants, but their disadvantages outweigh their advantages. For example,
chemical fertilizers contribute to greenhouse effects, environmental pollution, death of soil organisms
and marine inhabitants, ozone layer depletion, and human diseases. These have resulted in farmers
reverting to the application of composts as a means of restoring soil fertility. Composting is a
fundamental process in agriculture and helps in the recycling of farm wastes. The long duration
of composting is a challenge; this is due to the presence of materials that take a longer time to
compost, especially during co-composting. This review discusses the proper management of wastes
through composting, different composting methods, the factors affecting composting, long-duration
composting, the mechanism behind it, the present trends in composting and prospects. The extraction
of mono-fertilizers from compost, development of strips to test for the availability of heavy metals
and pathogens as well as an odor-trapping technique can go a long way in enhancing composting
techniques. The addition of activators to raw materials can help to improve the nutritional quality
of compost. This review further recommends that degradable organic material in which composts
slowly should be assessed for their ability to mineralize slowly, which could make them advantageous
to perennial or biennial crops. Viricides, fungicides, anti-nematodes, and anti-bacterial of plant or
organic sources could as well be added to improve compost quality. The enhancement of composting
duration will also be useful.
Keywords: composting; organic fertilizer; biodegradability; decomposition; waste management
1. Introduction
Improper waste management is detrimental to human health. Apart from being unsightly, it causes
air pollution, affects water bodies when dumped into the water, as well as depletes the ozone layer when
burnt, thereby increasing the impact of climate change. Wastes are often improperly managed [1,2]
using conventional methods. Wastes are burnt, disposed into oceans, waterways, and dumped by
the roadsides [3]. These practices breed insects and pests, release offensive odors, are unsightly and
contribute to global warming (during combustion). Organic (degradable) wastes transformation
Sustainability 2020, 12, 4456; doi:10.3390/su12114456 www.mdpi.com