Physiology and Rumen Microbial Ecology of Goats Fed Municipal Organic Solid Wastes Treated with Diastic Microbes from Snail (Achatina achatina)

The experiment was conducted with the objective of providing more information on the physiology and rumen microbial ecology of goats fed municipal organic solid waste treated with Diastic microbes of snails (Achatina achatina). The study was on the treated and untreated municipal organic solid waste as components of experimental diet. Balanced rations containing diets; A = 45% untreated municipal organic waste (UMOW), B = 45% treated municipal organic waste (TMOW), and C = 70% treated municipal organic waste (TMOW), with wheat offal, palm kernel cake, and molasses used to balance the diets. Where grass/legume ratio of 3 parts of Panicum maximum and 1 part of Centrocema were fed across treatments at the same proportion. The three rations were fed to 18 unsex Red Sokoto goats aged between 6 to 7 months, with an average weight of 8.01±2.50kg. They were housed in pens, on a floor space of 0.5 to 0.75m2 in a completely randomized designed experiment replicated six times and fed for a period of 52 days. The results were separated according to the parameters of rumen physiology (pH, total volatile fatty acids, acetic, propionic, butyric acids and ethanol, and rumen ecology (bacteria, protozoa, and fungi, which are mainly anaerobic microbes). The investigations revealed that microbial (bacteria, protozoa and fungi) load counts were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. While the total volatile fatty acids (TVFA), acetic, butyric and propionic increased (p<0.05) except for the TVFA and the propionic acid that showed numerical (p>0.05) increased levels of (TMOW). The pH levels improved (p>0.05) between 6.7 to 6.8 where the rumen electrolytes (Ca, Na and K) increased (p<0.01) with increased levels of TMOW. Rumen moisture, dry matter and fat content were (p<0.01) influenced by TMOW diets while ash content was (p<0.01) influenced by the TMOW. Crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre and carbohydrate were not affected (p<0.01; p<0.05) affected. It is good to note that, the microbial community of snail used in the pre-feeding fermentation of municipal organic waste had influence in the physiology and rumen microbial ecology at interface with the goat, enhanced improved the organic matter degradation and feed quality, of the highly fibrous municipal organic solid waste.

Processing of biomethane for electricity production as a sustainable way to treat municipal organic solid waste: A case study of the Corumbataí river basin region

This study proposed action scenarios for urban solid waste management in six municipalities in the Corumbataí River Basin. The operating scenarios were designed for organic waste treatment and for the shared disposal of urban solid waste. Six municipalities were studied, five of which had less than 30,000 inhabitants (Analândia, Charqueada, Corumbataí, Ipeúna, and Santa Gertrudes). In addition, Rio Claro had 199,000 inhabitants. Thus, the transport and transshipment stages, general infrastructure, and final disposal in landfills were analyzed. Further, the three scenarios for organic waste treatment were conducted separately. The items and the cost of implementation were estimated for decentralized composting, centralized composting, and biomethanization of waste with electricity recovery. The biomethanization scenario included the commercialization of electricity, so it generated revenues that decreased costs. This cost reduction was especially notable in the last years of the project when the goals of diversion of organic waste through selective collection were higher. The results suggested that the investigated scenarios could improve organic waste treatment and that the biomethanization scenario with electricity generation presented lower average costs per inhabitant than the centralized and decentralized composting scenarios.

Municipal organic solid waste management and program sustainability: a study of the Region of Peel's green bin program

The diversion of municipal organics to manufacture compost is increasingly seen as a proactive alternative to waste management. This study examines the sustainability of Region of Peel's (ROP) Green Bin program through the lens of the Three Spheres of Sustainability: environment, economic and social. This model was used to establish the Sustainability Criteria which ask a total of 27 questions concerning the program's sustainability. To answer these questions, a literature review was conducted in addition to in-person interviews with two groups of farmers: one with experience using municipal compost and one without. The results indicated that the program is sustainable when the Deep Ecology and Strong Sustainability model is applied. Further, it was concluded that the environmental sphere plays a paramount role by limiting the social and economic spheres to its environmental carrying capacity. Practically speaking, composting is worthwhile even when faced with limited revenue and public misconceptions about compost.

Municipal organic solid waste management and program sustainability: a study of the Region of Peel's green bin program

The diversion of municipal organics to manufacture compost is increasingly seen as a proactive alternative to waste management. This study examines the sustainability of Region of Peel's (ROP) Green Bin program through the lens of the Three Spheres of Sustainability: environment, economic and social. This model was used to establish the Sustainability Criteria which ask a total of 27 questions concerning the program's sustainability. To answer these questions, a literature review was conducted in addition to in-person interviews with two groups of farmers: one with experience using municipal compost and one without. The results indicated that the program is sustainable when the Deep Ecology and Strong Sustainability model is applied. Further, it was concluded that the environmental sphere plays a paramount role by limiting the social and economic spheres to its environmental carrying capacity. Practically speaking, composting is worthwhile even when faced with limited revenue and public misconceptions about compost.