Electric field-assisted aerobic co-composting of chicken manure and kitchen waste: Ammonia mitigation and maturation enhancement

A low-voltage electric field assisted strategy is considered to be effective in improving compost effect of con-ventional chicken manure composting (CCMC), but it lacks a critical assessment of NH3 mitigation and suitability for complex initial materials. This study firstly constructed an electric field-assisted aerobic co-composting (EFAC) of chicken manure and kitchen waste to evaluate NH3 mitigation and compost maturity. The results showed that the NH3 emissions of EFAC were 48.73% lower than those of CCMC. The proposed mechanisms suggest that the combined effect of reduced acidity and electric field inhibited the activities and functions related to ammoniation and ammonia-nitrogen conversion. The germination index of EFAC was 54.29% higher than that of CCMC, due to the enhancement of compost maturation. This study demonstrates that the electric field -assisted strategy for co-composting has a broad potential to reduce ammonia emissions and enhance the disposal of complex feedstocks.