The major goal of the project was to develop recipes which could be used by fish and seafood processors to dispose of their waste residuals by composting. Four bulking agents were identified due to their relative availability locally. N ratio of the mixture, bulk density, moisture content, pH, temperature profile, compost time, completeness of compost, chemical properties, etc. Rice hull mixtures achieved the most rapid self-heating and the highest compost temperatures. Bagasse mixtures had the largest reductions in material volume and volatile solids.
Rice hulls are desirable due to their slow degradation rate and reusability.
Several chemical methods were developed to determine compost end point. These are described in a graduate dissertation. Simple, inexpensive vertical static pile reactors were developed and evaluated with both crawfish and fish processing residuals. The inner cylinder measures 5 ft. in diameter and 4 ft. high. The raw material is placed inside the center cylinder.