Progress in the microbial mechanism for the promotion of nitrogen loss reduction by hyperthermophilic composting

Abstract:

Nitrogen cycle within composting is largely dependent on microorganism-driven nitrogen transformation. However, the maximum temperatures of conventional thermophilic composting systems only reach 55–60 ℃. Notably, rising the temperature can shorten the duration of processing and improve the quality of end products. Hyperthermophilic composting as an innovative technology has been developed in recent years, breaking through the limitations of low pile temperatures. The continuous ultra-high temperature regulates the interactions between composting microbiome, composting environment, and nitrogen, and thus significantly reduces nitrogen loss. This paper introduced the basic process of nitrogen transformation and the superiority in nitrogen retention during hyperthermophilic composting. Further, we summarized the recent research progress in dominant microbial groups associated with nitrogen transformation, the factors influencing functional microbes, and the mechanism for controlling nitrogen loss in hyperthermophilic composting. Finally, we analyzed the problems in the current research about hyperthermophilic composting and discussed the possible solutions.