Know What s Being Produced For troubleshooting, it is also important to know what is being produced during composting. Ammonia is a natural part of the composting process. It forms as various nitrogen-rich organic compounds decompose. As long as the environment is moist and the pH is close to neutral, most of the ammonia remains in solution, where it can be used by the organisms. This is both a loss of valuable nitrogen and a source of potential odors.
Organic acids are also a natural product of composting, especially when anaerobic conditions exist.
A few examples are lactic, acetic, butyric, propionic, and valeric acids. Reduced sulfur compounds and some of the longer chain organic acids are very odorous. The smell from rotting waste is largely due to those organic acids. Another problem with organic acids is that they are toxic to plants at high levels. The phytotoxicity of VOAs depends on the compost use, pH, plant sensitivity, and other factors.