Variability in physical contamination assessment of source segregated biodegradable municipal waste derived composts

• Virginia Echavarri-Bravo ^[1] ; Helene H. Thygesen ^[2] ; Thomas J. Aspray ^[1]
  1. [1] Heriot Watt University (United Kingdom)
  2. [2] The Food and Environment Research Agency (United Kingdom)
• Localización: Waste management, ISSN-e 0956-053X, Vol. 59, 2017, págs. 30-36
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Physical contaminants (glass, metal, plastic and ‘other’) and stones were isolated and categorised from three finished commercial composts derived from source segregated biodegradable municipal waste (BMW). A subset of the identified physical contaminant fragments were subsequently reintroduced into the cleaned compost samples and sent to three commercial laboratories for testing in an inter-laboratory trial using the current PAS100:2011 method (AfOR MT PC&S). The trial showed that the ‘other’ category caused difficulty for all three laboratories with under reporting, particularly of the most common ‘other’ contaminants (paper and cardboard) and, over-reporting of non-man-made fragments. One laboratory underreported metal contaminant fragments (spiked as silver foil) in three samples. Glass, plastic and stones were variably underreported due to miss-classification or over reported due to contamination with compost (organic) fragments. The results are discussed in the context of global physical contaminant test methods and compost quality assurance schemes.