[USCC] "Anaerobic Composting"

[Will Brinton]

I sincerely doubt if Europeans have used the term "anaerobic composting" 
unless its an American-English mistranslation
or something from the UK. It was (unscientifically) patented, though, in 
the USA, in North Carolina, as Craig alludes to.

I do agree we shouldn't use the term while we should educate ourselves 
that 50-75% of bacteria performing
composting are facultative anaerobes functioning episodically aerobic. 
When aeration is limited these all important organisms "fill in" the 
metabolic activity of carbon transformation, keeping the process going. 
So "aerobic composting" is something of a biological misnomer too.

Will Brinton

>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Ambient temperatures and biofilter performance (Jeff Ziegenbein)
>   2. Re: What is anaerobic composting? (alexassoc at earthlink.net)
>   3. Re: What is anaerobic composting? (William (Bill) Carter)
>  
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject:
> [USCC] Ambient temperatures and biofilter performance
> From:
> Jeff Ziegenbein <jziegenb at ieua.org>
> Date:
> Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:38:34 -0800
> To:
> 'Compost Discussion List' <compost at mailman.cloudnet.com>
>
> To:
> 'Compost Discussion List' <compost at mailman.cloudnet.com>
>
>
>Has anyone heard of literature relating ambient temperatures and biofilter performance? I understand that extreme heat may drive temps up out of optimal but wonder if there is evidence that cooler weather improves performance.
>
>Jeff Ziegenbein
>Deputy Manager of Operations and Organics
>Inland Empire Regional Composting Authority
>(909) 993-1981 office
>(909) 573-6190 cell
>jziegenbein at ieua.org<mailto:jziegenbein at ieua.org>
>P Think of the environment before printing.
>
>
>  
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>llo Compost World,
>Anaerobic composting is a term I hear a lot in Europe. It is a misnomer as
>far as I can see. It comes from the developing anaerobic digestion industry
>  
>
>>basically, people trying to relate AD to thermophilic composting (which is
>>    
>>
>much more commonplace and understood). We really need to stop using this
>term, and simply educate better about AD.
>Ron
>
>
> 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: compost-bounces at mailman.cloudnet.com
>[mailto:compost-bounces at mailman.cloudnet.com] On Behalf Of Craig Coker
>Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 6:01 PM
>To: 'Compost Discussion List'
>Subject: Re: [USCC] What is anaerobic composting?
>
>Myron (and colleagues):
>
>A few years ago, a man in Boone, NC tried to advocate anaerobic composting.
>What he was doing was building a compacted mound of sawdust (~ 20' H x 50' W
>x 100' L or so) and then excavating rectangular holes (think "graves") and
>emplacing livestock mortality in the holes.  He'd cover them back up with
>sawdust, compact it again, and let it rot for several years.  He then
>harvested entombed remains and offered the "compost" for sale. 
>
>I have seen this operation four times since 1998 and I will say the "system"
>worked, as his compost was completely decomposed mortality compost and he
>was selling it readily.  I believe the sawdust was so densely packed around
>the mortalities that there was no way oxygen could have gotten in to
>facilitate aerobic composting.  There was no leachate (due, I'd imagine, to
>the sheer depth of sawdust).  
>
>Unfortunately (or, fortunately, depending on one's point of view) the State
>of NC shut him down in 2008 for failure to get a solid waste composting
>permit as the site was within the required 50' setback from his property
>line.
>
>Craig 
>
>  
>
-- 
William F Brinton Ph.D
Woods End Laboratories, Inc.
Mt Vernon MAINE USA 04352
+001 207 293 2457