Comparative study of humic acids of the mound of a wood-feeding termite and of the litter directly below in the Amazon river delta

In order to determine the role of termites in the recycling of organic matter and in humification processes, organic matter from the mound of a wood-feeding termite (Nasutitermes sp.) and from the litter directly below has been studied in secondary forest on the campus of Belem University, in Brazil. The carbon content was slightly lower in the litter ( just beneath the mound) than in the mound, but nitrogen was much more abundant in the mound. As a consequence, the C/N ratio of fragmented litter total organic matter is very high, which shows that the humification process is not complete. Therefore, plant debris seemed to be more degraded in the mound than in the litter, indicating a humification gradient from mound to litter. Humic acid extracted from the mound and from the litterwas compared by using elemental, E4/E6 ratio, spectroscopic (FTIR) analyses, and Sephadex gel chromatography. First, humic acids were more abundant in the mound than in the litter, showing that humification processes were more advanced in the mound than in the litter. Gel-permeation chromatography showed that the humic acids of the mound contained more low-molecular-weight fractions than those of the litter. In addition, the results of infrared spectra, E4/E6 ratio and elemental composition can confirm the fulvic character of mound material and the humic character of litter material. Therefore, the plant debris seems to follow two different humification pathways in the two environments, as long as the mound is alive

The production of commercial organic amendments and fertilisers by composting of two-phase olive-mill waste (“alperujo”)

Viabilidad técnica para la producción industrial de abonos y enmiendas orgánicas mediante compostaje de orujo de oliva de dos fases o "alperujo"Nowadays, the main concern for the Spanish olive oil industry is the disposal of the huge amounts (about 5 Mt in the last olive oil campaign, 2010-2011) of the two-phase olive-mill waste or “alperujo” (AL) that it produces. Here, we have studied the technical feasibility of using composting to transform AL into commercial organic amendments and fertilisers. For this, six piles of 20 t each, prepared by mixing AL and either poultry (PM) or sheep manure (SM), were composted. In addition, Fe and P-enriched acidic mineral amendments were added at the beginning of the process in order to reduce alkalinisation and nitrogen losses. As composting proceeded, substantial organic matter degradation, progressive humification, increases of pH and germination indices and decreases in fats and water-soluble organic fractions were detected. Also, the addition of the mineral amendments was effective with regard to reducing the pH, water-soluble organic carbon and polyphenols, hemicellulose fraction and nitrogen losses. According to the Spanish legislation for fertiliser production (PRE/630/2011), the composts obtained were suitable for preparing commercial organic amendments and fertilisers within categories such as AL Compost, Humic Organic Amendment, Compost Organic Amendment and NPK Organic Fertiliser. Also, by mixing with organic and/or mineral fertilisers, the composts were optimal substrates for the production of 19 types of Organo-mineral Fertilisers, either as solid or liquid formulations.Peer reviewe

Characterization of humic acids produced during composting of olive mill wastes: elemental and spectroscopic analyses (FTIR and ^{\sf\sl{13}}C-NMR)

The purpose of this study is to follow the evolution of the humic acids generated during olive mill wastes composting, by elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods (Fourier Transform Infra-Red: FTIR and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: $^{13}$C-NMR), in order to determine the stability and the maturity of the final compost. During composting, the humic acids presented a decrease of the peptidic and aliphatic structures and an increase of the aromatic structures. This confirms the stability of the final product after 12 months of composting. It results from this study that the quality of the humic substances generated could be an useful indicator to evaluate the maturity of the final product and to assess its agronomic value.Caractérisation des acides humiques lors du compostage des déchets d'huileries d'olive : analyse élémentaire et spectroscopique (IRTF et RMN-^{\sf\sl{13}}C). Cette étude a pour but de suivre l'évolution des acides humiques lors du compostage des déchets d'huileries d'olive par l'analyse élémentaire et par les techniques spectroscopiques (Infrarouge à Transformée de Fourier : IRTF et Résonance Magnétique Nucléaire du carbone : RMN-$^{13}$C) en vue de déterminer la stabilité et la maturité du compost final. Ces résultats mettent en évidence, qu'au cours du compostage, les acides humiques sont caractérisés par une réduction des structures peptidiques et aliphatiques qui s'accompagne d'une augmentation des structures aromatiques. Ceci confirme la stabilité du compost final après 12 mois de compostage. Il résulte de cette étude que la connaissance de la qualité des substances humiques pourrait être un indicateur supplémentaire pour évaluer la maturité du produit final et pour déterminer sa valeur agronomique

Caractérisation et identification des polyphénols lors du traitement des déchets d'huileries d'olives par compostage

Le suivi de la fraction polyphénolique, a été effectué quantitativement (Folin-Ciocalteu) et qualitativement (CCM et CG/SM) lors du compostage des déchets d'huileries. L'analyse quantitative montre un abattementdes polyphénols de 93% au 12 mois de compostage. L'analyse par CCM confirme cette réduction et révèle le rôle de la paille dans l'adsorption de certains composés phénoliques. La CG/SM a permis de confirmer ces résultats et d'identifier dans les grignons, les composés suivants: le 4 hydroxy3méthoxybenzylalcool, l'acide parahydroxybenzoate d'éthyle, le vanillate d'éthyle, l'acide parahydroxybenzoique, l'acide 4 hydroxyphénylacétique, l'acide 2, 4, 6 trihydroxybenzoique et l'acide 3,5 dihydroxybenzoique, dont la majorité disparaissent après 12 mois de compostage

Strategies to produce commercial liquid organic fertilisers from "alperujo" composts Germ an Tortosa

a b s t r a c t Composting is considered an economically-friendly procedure for producing commercial solid organic amendments and fertilisers from the two-phase olive mill waste (called "alperujo": AL), main by-product of the Spanish olive oil industry. AL composts are characterized by a noticeable organic matter content, mainly of lignocellulosic nature, which determines their humic properties. In this study, we have assayed several extraction conditions in order to release commercial liquid organic fertilisers from AL composts. The following conditions were tested: extraction time, extraction temperature, heat (70 C) time applied, extraction ratio, extractant agent and alkali concentration. Their effects on organic fraction (total organic, polyphenol-and carbohydrate-like carbons), nutrient concentration and extraction efficiency were evaluated. In general terms, an increase in the extraction time and the combined use of alkali and heat increased significantly the amount of organic carbon solubilised from the compost, affecting the nature of the alkali-soluble organic matter and even showing a chemical degradation of the humic fraction in some cases. The extraction ratio modified the concentration of the organic and inorganic fraction in the extracts, and also their polyphenol and carbohydrate content. The use of a 24 h extraction with 1 M KOH (1:4 or 1:5, extraction ratios) and heat (4 h at 70 C) allowed us to extract the required amount of C and K from AL compost, being necessary an external source of N and P to complete the fertiliser formulations according to the current Spanish legislation for Organo-mineral Fertiliser production (RD 506/2013(RD 506/ , 2013

Aerobic biodegradation of sludge from the effluent of a vegetable oil processing plant mixed with household waste: Physical–chemical, microbiological, and spectroscopic analysis

International audienceSludge from a sewage treatment plant dealing with the effluent produced during the processing of crude vegetable oil (Lesieur-Cristal, Morocco) was composted in two mixtures (M1 and M2) with household waste obtained from landfill. The different physico-chemical characteristics of the final composts after 5 months of composting were, for M1 and M2, respectively: pH: 8.5 and 7.08; C/N: 10 and 16; proportion of decomposition: 78% and 55%, NH þ 4 =NO À 3 : 0.78 and 1.02. Monitoring the levels of lipid and total poly-phenols showed a reduction of 81% and 72% for lipids and of 75% and 76% for polyphenols in M1 and M2, respectively. These reductions were paralleled by a rise in the humic acid content to reach 22 and 36 mg/ g, respectively. Overall, these results were confirmed by the FTIR spectroscopy study of the two mixtures. For M1, the FTIR spectra taken at different stages showed that during composting, biodegradation of the aliphatic compounds occurred as the proportion of aromatic structures increased. The transformations observed qualitatively were then confirmed quantitatively by the changes occurring in the various absorption ratios during composting. Mixture M2, however, presented strong absorbance of aliphatic compounds. These results were statistically confirmed by correlation tests and principal components analysis, which confirmed the maturity of the two composts, M1 having matured more than M2

Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriocinogenic Enterococcal and Lactococcal Strains from South of Morocco Dairy Product

Aim: To investigate the occurrence of bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacteria (BAL) in different animal’s milk of the south of Morocco. Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Microbial biotechnologies and plant Protection, Faculty of Sciences, and Bioprocess and Environment laboratory (LASIME), EST-Agadir, Ibnou Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco, between January 2014 and January 2016. Methodology: A total of 2000 different colonies, isolated from 42 samples of dromedary, ewe’s, goat and cow spontaneously fermented milk collected from some southern regions of Morocco, were tested for antimicrobial activity. Three indicator strains were used; Listeria innocua, Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus hirae. The selected strains are phenotypically and biochemically identified, especially by API 20 Strep galleries. In addition, the sanitary and technological aspects of these strains are studied. Results: Among the active strains 150 strains were selected, and 91% among them were identified as lactic acid bacteria. Out of these, 11 strains isolated from dromedary and ewe’s milk are shown to be active by the agar well diffusion assay (AWDA). Seven (7) strains were identified as Enterococcus faecium, three (3) as Enterococcus faecalis and only one (1) strain was identified as Lactococcus lactis. The twelve strains are active against a wide range of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In addition, all of these strains shown to lack haemolytic, decarboxylatic, proteolytic and lipolytic activities and to be susceptible to most tested antibiotics. Conclusion: These results suggest a potential application of isolated strains of lactic acid bacteria in bio-preservation of fermented foods especially dairy products

Chemical and spectroscopic analyses of organic matter transformations during composting of olive mill wastes

6 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables.A piled mixture of olive-mill wastes and wheat straw was composted for 1 year and several of its characteristics (total organic carbon and nitrogen, organic matter, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, total fats, water-soluble phenols and the germination index of cress, Lepidium sativum L.) were monitored. In addition, the compost was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed the efficiency of composting in reducing olive-mill toxicity. The C/N ratio and organic matter degradation were 160.50 and 560.50 g kg−1, respectively, after 12 months of composting. Lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose amounts were reduced during the process, their depletion rates reaching final values of 44%, 76% and 58%, respectively. In addition, the fat and water-soluble phenol contents decreased by 97% and 66%, respectively. The germination index reached 99% at the end of the process. This demonstrated the absence of phytotoxicity in the mature compost. The FTIR spectra showed that there was an enrichment in the aromatic groups and a degradation of the aliphatic groups.This research has been supported by AECI (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional), JER 6013 associée á l’Agence Universitaire Francophone, and PRAD 02/10 (Projet de Recherche Agronomique et Développement franco-marocain).Peer reviewe

Characterization of fulvic acids by elemental and spectroscopic (FTIR and 13C-NMR) analyses during composting of olive mill wastes plus straw

6 pages, 3 tables, 2 figures.Elemental, functional and spectroscopic analyses (FTIR, 13C-NMR) were performed to study fulvic acids of composted olive mill wastes plus cereal straw, in order to follow the maturity of the final product during composting. The extracted fulvic acids were characterized by high nitrogen, acidic functional group and phenolic hydroxyl contents that might have resulted from the high degree of humification and the synthesis of more condensed humic complexes. This was confirmed by a decrease of alcoholic and aliphatic structures and an increase of aromatic structures, as shown by the FTIR and 13C-NMR analyses. The results showed that stability of the final product was reached after 12 months of composting and that fulvic acid levels could constitute an additional tool to assess final product maturity and its agronomic value.This research was supported by Agencia Española de Cooperaci ón Internacional (AECI), JER 6013 associated to the Agence Universitaire Francophone, PRAD 02/10: Project de Recherche Agronomique et D éveloppement Franco-Marocain.Peer reviewe