Research Article MONITORING OF MICROBIAL POPULATION AND THEIR ACTIVITIES DURING COMPOSTING OF ORGANIC MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES AT CENTRAL INDIA

Seasonal changes in microbial population and the activities of cellulolytic enzymes were investigated during the composting of municipal solid waste at ranital, Central India. The changes in temperature, pH and Carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio were also monitored. The results obtained showed that the temperature of the windrows in all seasons reached the maximum after 3 weeks composting and then decreased by the end of the composting period (35 days), but did not reach ambient temperature. Marked changes in pH values of the compost in all seasons were found, but generally, the pH was near neutrality. Significant increases in the size of the microbial population were obtained in autumn and spring seasons compared to summer and winter seasons. The activities of cellulose were also higher in the autumn and spring seasons than in the summer and winter seasons. The decrease in C/N ratio in autumn and spring was higher than in summer and winter. It was evident that the degradation of organic matter increased by an increase in the microflora and its cellulolytic activities.