Response of compost maturity and microbial community composition to pentachlorophenol (PCP)-contaminated soil during composting

Two composting piles were prepared by adding to a mixture of rice straw, vegetables and bran: (i) raw soil free from pentachlorophenol (PCP) contamination (pile A) and (ii) PCP-contaminated soil (pile B). It was shown by the results that compost maturity characterized by water soluble carbon (WSC), TOC/TN ratio, germination index (GI) and dehydrogenase activity (DA) was significantly affected by PCP exposure, which resulted in an inferior degree of maturity for pile B. DGGE analysis revealed an inhibited effect of PCP on compost microbial abundance. The bacteria community shifts were mainly consistent with composting factors such as temperature, pH, moisture content and substrates. By contrast, the fungal communities were more sensitive to PCP contamination due to the significant correlation between fungal community shifts and PCP removal. Therefore, the different microbial community compositions for properly evaluating the degree of maturity and PCP contamination were suggested.     

不同灌溉方式下3种土壤微生物活性测定方法比较

探究不同灌溉方式下土壤微生物活性,对维持土壤稳定和提高水资源利用效率具有重要意义。以沈阳农业大学长期定位灌溉试验基地为平台,采用土壤酶活性、土壤呼吸和微量热法,研究节水灌溉组覆膜滴灌、渗灌及对照组沟灌下的土壤微生物活性并比较3种微生物活性测定方法。结果表明:不同灌溉方式下土壤脲酶、转化酶、脱氢酶活性无显著差异,土壤呼吸在3个主要生长季也没有明显变化规律;而微量热法得到的热功率时间曲线呈现了典型的微生物生长特征趋势,覆膜滴灌的生长速率较大,且与沟灌的总热量、最大热功率相差不大。因此,从可持续农业观点出发,覆膜滴灌是保证土壤微生物活性较高的一种节水灌溉方式;微量热法也为传统方法下不易检测的微生物活性提供了新思路。     

Spatial distribution of dynamics characteristic in the intermittent aeration static composting of sewage sludge

Spatial differences and temporal changes in biological activity characteristics were investigated in a static reactor using intermittent aeration during the sewage sludge composting process. Pumice was proposed as a bulking agent in the composting of sewage sludge. Variations in temperature, moisture, oxygen level, volatile solids, specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) were determined during 28 days of composting. The peak temperature in the upper region of the reactor was 10 °C higher than that at the bottom. The moisture level in the middle region was significantly higher than that of other positions. Analysis of SOUR and DHA indicated that the lowest level of sludge stability was at the bottom region. These spatial and temporal differences in biochemical dynamics in the static system could extend the composting period and affect product uniformity.     

Contrasting soil microbial responses to fertilization and tillage systems in canola rhizosphere

Information regarding the simultaneous evaluation of tillage and fertilization on the soil biological traits in canola production is not available. Therefore, field experiments were conducted in 2007–2010 in a split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Main plots consisted of conventional tillage (CT); minimum tillage (MT) and no tillage (NT). Six strategies of fertilization including (N₁): farmyard manure (cattle manure); (N₂): compost; (N₃): chemical fertilizers; (N₄): farmyard manure + compost; (N₅): farmyard manure + compost + chemical fertilizers and (N₆): control, were arranged in sub plots. Results showed that the addition of organic manure increased the soil microbial biomass. No tillage system increased microbial biomass compared to other tillage systems. The activities of all enzymes were generally higher in the N₄ treatment. The activity of phosphatase and urease tended to be higher in the no tillage treatment compared to the CT and MT treatments.     

鸡粪堆肥的酶活特性研究

目的研究以鸡粪和菌糠为主体物料在高温堆肥发酵过程中纤维素酶、木聚糖酶、淀粉酶以及蛋白酶酶活性的变化。方法通过测定各酶活动态变化,了解各酶在鸡粪堆肥中的变化规律。其中纤维素酶和淀粉酶采用DNS比色法,木聚糖酶活采用还原糖法,蛋白酶活采用福林法进行测定。结果随温度不断变化和酶本身的性质以及物料的作用机制机制不同,酶活动态变化表现出一定的差异性。物料发酵温度在0～3 d时迅速上升,在3～18 d持续高温期,15 d之后下降趋于恒定。各酶活变化基本上符合先上升至峰值再下降,最后保持恒定的规律。其中各酶发生高效反应的时间具有不一致性,纤维素酶活在第18天时达到峰值,淀粉酶活在第9天时达到峰值,木聚糖酶在第12天时达到峰值,而蛋白酶活在第3天时即达到峰值。结论酶对物料腐熟具有重要用,本研究结果为堆肥腐熟提供参考指标,对优化堆肥工艺具有重要意义。     

猪粪好氧堆制不同阶段氧气含量变化特征

研究了不同堆肥阶段氧气浓度和耗氧速率的变化特征．结果表明,不同堆肥阶段通风补充氧气所需的时间很短,各阶段通风后氧气浓度都恢复到17％以上．堆肥升温阶段、高温阶段初期耗氧速率高,达900μl·L^-1·s^-1以上;随着堆肥的进行,耗氧速率逐渐降低,经过5～7d的持续高温期后,耗氧速率下降到100μl·L^-1·s^-1以下,堆肥基本腐熟．根据耗氧堆肥的氧气动态变化特征,提出了相应的通风策略．     

Investigation of the microbial community structure and activity as indicators of compost stability and composting process evolution

In a bid to identify suitable microbial indicators of compost stability, the process evolution during windrow composting of poultry manure (PM), green waste (GW) and biowaste was studied. Treatments were monitored with regard to abiotic factors, respiration activity (determined using the SOUR test) and functional microflora. The composting process went through typical changes in temperature, moisture content and microbial properties, despite the inherent feedstock differences. Nitrobacter and pathogen indicators varied as a monotonous function of processing time. Some microbial groups have shown a potential to serve as fingerprints of the different process stages, but still they should be examined in context with respirometric tests and abiotic parameters. Respiration activity reflected well the process stage, verifying the value of respirometric tests to access compost stability. SOUR values below 1 mg O₂/g VS/h were achieved for the PM and the GW compost.     

Investigation of the anti-fungal activity of coptisine on Candida albicans growth by microcalorimetry combined with principal component analysis

Aims:  This study investigated the anti-fungal activity of coptisine on Candida albicans growth.
Methods and Results:  The metabolic power-time curves of Candida albicans growth at 37°C affected by coptisine were measured by microcalorimetry using an LKB-2277 Bioactivity Monitor with stop-flow mode. Then, the diameter of inhibitory zones in the agar layer was observed using agar cup method, and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of coptisine on Candida albicans growth was determined by serial dilution method. From the principal component analysis on nine quantitative parameters obtained from the power-time curves, we could easily evaluate the anti-fungal activity of coptisine by analysing the change of values of the main two parameters, growth rate constant k and maximum power output in the log phase P _{m, log}. The results showed that coptisine had strong anti-fungal activity: at a low concentration (45  μ g ml⁻¹) began to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans and at a high concentration (500  μ g ml⁻¹) completely inhibited Candida albicans growth. Coptisine gave big inhibitory zones with diameters between 11 and 43 mm within test range, and the MIC of it was 1000  μ g ml⁻¹.
Conclusions:  Coptisine had strong anti-fungal activity on Candida albicans growth. The method of microcalorimetry applied for the assay of anti-fungal activity of coptisine was quantitative, sensitive and simple.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  This work will provide useful information for the development of chemical biology policy in the use of anti-microbials in food and drug production.     

Fungal community assembly during a high-temperature composting under different pasteurization regimes used to elaborate the Agaricus bisporus substrate

Agaricus bisporus cultivation is based on a selective substrate prepared by a meticulous composting process where thermophilic and/or thermotolerant fungi might play an important role in straw biomass depolymerization. Since fungi have physiological limitations to survive and grow in high-temperature environments, we set out different pasteurization regimes (57 °C/6 h, 60 °C/2 h, and 68 °C/2 h) to evaluate the impact on the fungal community assembly. The fungal community profile generated by high-throughput sequencing showed shifts in community diversity and composition under different pasteurization regimes. Most of the recovered sequences belong to the Ascomycota phylum. Among 73 species detected, Mycothermus thermophilus, Talaromyces thermophilus, and Thermomyces lanuginosus were the most abundant. In the current study, we outlined that pasteurization regimes can reshape the fungal community in compost which can potentially impact the A. bisporus development.     

Molecular characterization of fungal community dynamics in the initial stages of composting

Composting relies on a complex network of bacteria and fungi to process crude organic material. Although it is known that these organisms drive dynamic changes in temperature and pH, little is known about the temporal dynamics of fungal populations during the rise to thermophilic conditions. This study employed F-ARISA (fungal-automated rRNA intergenic spacer analysis) and 18S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing to examine changes in community structure during this period. Sequencing of the 18S rRNA portion of cloned F-ARISA products revealed the presence of four distinct fungal genera including Backusella sp., Mucoraceae, Geotrichum sp. and the yeast Pichia sp. Based on the presence and absence of these ARISA operational taxonomic units (A-OTUs), we observed a shift in fungal community structure between 48 and 60 h. This change in community structure preceded a rise in pH and coincided with an increase in temperature. Clone libraries constructed using fungi-specific 18S rRNA primers contained sequences similar to several other fungal genera including Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp., Hamigera sp., Neurospora sp. and the yeast Candida sp. While the fungal species richness was relatively low at any time point, the community structure was dynamic and paralleled changes in bacterial community structure.     

Characterization of organic matter microstructure dynamics during co-composting of sewage sludge, barks and green waste

A microstructure characterization study using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was conducted to specify organic matter dynamics during the co-composting process of sewage sludge, green waste and barks. TEM results showed that ligneous and polyphenolic compounds brought by barks were not biodegraded during composting. Green waste brought more or less biodegraded ligneous constituents and also an active microbial potential. Chloroplasts and sludge flocs appeared to be relevant indicators of green waste and sewage sludge in composted products, as they were still viewable at the end of the process. TEM characterization of the final product highlighted two main fractions of organic matter, one easily available and a more recalcitrant one, and also a remaining microbial activity. Thus microstructure characterization appeared to be an appropriate way of taking the heterogeneity of the organic constituents' size and composition into account when attempting to specify such compost quality parameters as maturity and stability.     

不同微生物菌剂处理对猪粪堆肥中氨挥发的影响

研究不同微生物复合菌剂及添加比例对猪粪与木屑混合(鲜重比为鲜猪粪∶木屑9∶1)堆肥过程中NH₃挥发的影响.结果表明,在堆肥过程中,NH₃挥发主要产生在堆肥前期15 d的升温和高温期,添加3‰的微生物复合菌剂1、2和3对猪粪堆肥中NH₃挥发都有一定的抑制作用,减轻氮素损失与堆肥恶臭,添加5‰复合菌剂1有显著抑制作用（P＜0.05）.     

Effects on microbial activity by extraction of indigenous cells from soil slurries

Abstract: Possible effects on the physiological activity and culturability of soil microorganisms by different soil dispersion procedures, and effects on activity caused by extracting bacteria from soil, were investigated. There was no apparent difference in cfu's with dispersion of a silty loam soil and a loamy sand soil with pyrophosphate as compared to dispersion in NaCl. Substrate-induced respiration was reduced in the silty loam soil, and methanol oxidation was reduced in the loamy sand soil with dispersion in pyrophosphate, and the soil pH was irreversibly increased by the treatment. Extracted bacterial fractions had lower numbers of culturable cells as percentage of the total number of bacteria in each fraction, lower respiration rates and no methanol oxidation activity as compared to the soil slurry both before and after extraction. The physiological activity was apparently not affected by the number of cells extracted. This indicates that the increased extraction rate of indigenous soil bacteria obtained by effective disruption of aggregates and detachment of cells from surfaces, only results in increased extraction of cells that have been physiologically changed as a result of the extraction process.     

Changes in the microbial community structure during thermophilic composting of manure as detected by the quinone profile method

Quinone profiles and physico-chemical properties were measured to characterize the microbial community structure during a 14-day thermophilic composting of cattle manure mixed with rice straw as a bulking agent. The change in total quinone content (TQ) and the divergence of quinone (DQ) indicated that the microbial biomass reached a peak followed by a decrease, whereas the microbial community diversity increased continuously during the composting process. The high mole fraction of ubiquinones in the raw materials, and at the beginning of the composting period suggested that fungi and/or Proteobacteria were present. The predominance of MK-7 from days 3 to 7 suggested that Bacillus spp. were the main microbial species. An increase in partially saturated and long-chain menaquinones during the latter composting period indicated that the proliferation of various species of Actinobacteria was occurring. The microbial community structure, as expressed by TQ and DQ, corresponded well to physico-chemical properties such as the C/N ratio, pH, O₂ consumption and compost mass reduction.     

Effect of inoculation with Penicillium expansum on the microbial community and maturity of compost

Compost prepared from wheat straw and cattle/chicken mature was inoculated with the lignocellulolytic fungus, Penicillium expansum. Compared to uninoculated compost, the inoculated compost exhibited a 150% higher germination index, more than 1.2 g kg(-1)-dw of changes in NH(4)(+)-N concentrations, a ca. 12.0% higher humus content and a lignocellulose degradation that proceeded 57.5% faster. Culture-based determinations of microbial populations demonstrated that aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and fungi were about 1-2 orders of magnitude higher in inoculated than in uninoculated compost. The number of ammonifying, ammonium-oxidizing, nitrite-oxidizing, denitrifying bacteria and cellulose-decomposing bacteria was 6.1-9.0 log(10) CFU g(-1)-dw, 1.2-4.3 log(10) MPN g(-1)-dw, 3.5-6.8 log(10) MPN g(-1)-dw, 3.58-4.34 log(10) MPN g(-1)-dw, 1.4-3.8 log(10)MPN g(-1)-dw, and 4.2-8.8 log(10) CFU g(-1)-dw higher in the compost inoculated with P. expansum.     

Activity and stability of pyrolyzed iron ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells

A low-cost and effective iron-chelated catalyst was developed as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The catalyst was prepared by pyrolyzing carbon mixed iron-chelated ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (PFeEDTA/C) in an argon atmosphere. Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that PFeEDTA/C had a high catalytic activity for ORR. The MFC with a PFeEDTA/C cathode produced a maximum power density of 1122 mW/m², which was close to that with a Pt/C cathode (1166 mW/m²). The PFeEDTA/C was stable during an operation period of 31 days. Based on X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, quaternary-N modified with iron might be the active site for the oxygen reduction reaction. The total cost of a PFeEDTA/C catalyst was much lower than that of a Pt catalyst. Thus, PFeEDTA/C can be a good alternative to Pt in MFC practical applications.     

Characterization of composted olive mill wastes to predict potential plant disease suppressiveness

Despite its proven agronomic value, the plant disease suppressive effect of composts from olive waste has not been adequately investigated. In the present study, the disease suppressive potential of two olive waste (OW) composts against soil-borne plant pathogens was investigated. Both OW composts showed sizeable, active microbial populations, which were able to grow actively on chitin and cellulose. In plate inhibition trials, OW compost water extracts (CWEs) exerted a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of the pathogens Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (Fol), Pythium ultimum, Phytophtora infestans, Sclerotina sclerotiorum and Verticillium dahliae; and in pot experiments, the OW composts significantly reduced P. ultimum damping-off and Fol wilt diseases on tomato seedlings. The disease suppressive effect of OW composts seems to be due to the combined effects of suppression phenomena caused by the presence of microorganisms competing for both nutrients and space as well as by the activity of specific antagonistic microorganisms.