Effects of aeration and season on the composting of hatchery waste

Hatchery waste is characterized as biomass with a high concentration of pollutants, therefore, such waste should be composted in static windrows in the initial phase of the process. The current research was carried out aiming to investigate the need for forced aeration in static piles built in cells with perforated walls during the composting of hatchery waste, in association with a bulking agent, during winter and summer. Aeration resulted in greater breakdown of volatile solids (VS), carbon (C), and lignin in the summer up to 50 days of composting. However, at 70 and 90 days, the results between aerated and non-aerated windrows were similar. The highest N breakdown took place during winter with no aeration. The concentrations of humic acids were influenced only by the season and were higher in the compost generated during summer. Micronutrient concentrations in the compost were impacted by season and were higher in the summer. It is concluded that, in winter, forced aeration is only recommended after 50 days of composting, whereas in summer, forced aeration was beneficial throughout the composting process.