## 4 Discussion  
Based on the physico-chemical and spectroscopic characterization of the feedstock, the waste used in this study has a remarkable concentration of organic matter, consisting mainly of aromatic compounds and phenolic, aliphatic, and polysaccharide structures. These results suggest that the waste might be rich in lignocellulosic material, among other unidentified molecules, which confirms the assumption regarding the abundance of the organic fraction in the mixtures studied; it provides an environment that is favorable to the proliferation of microorganisms during composting. Figure 11: **A** Krona chart representing the whole fungalcommunity distribution in compost sample B. Throughout the composoting procedure, a decrease in the total organic carbon was recorded. Such a decrease is characteristic of organic matter degradation and was observed by several authors [29; 32]. In fact, similar decreases during composoting have often been reported and attributed to the mineralization of organic matter by microorganisms [33]. Furthermore, together with the decrease of total organic carbon, an increase in total nitrogen was recorded. This effect is owing to the nitrogen that is produced during the degradation of carbon compounds by microorganisms [34]. A decrease in the nitrogen content during the middle stages of the composoting process, mainly due to the volatilization of ammonia, was also observed, as described by [PERSON] et al. [35]. At the end of the composoting, and owing to the assimilation of TOC, the C/N ratio decreased, as revealed by several previous studies [36; 37]; such a decrease in the C/N ratio is often related to the degree of maturity. Previously, it was reported that changes in the C/N ratio reflect the decomposition and stabilization of organic matter [37]. Several studies have reported that a C/N ratio of 15-20 is indicative of acceptable maturity [32; 38]. This is in agreement with the results obtained, showing that at the end of composoting, the C/N values were between 15 and 20, even for mixture C with a high concentration (80%) of textile waste. Indeed, these results are in agreement with other studies that used other kinds of waste, such as sludge from water treatment plants and palm waste, and obtained similar C/N ratios at the end of composoting [20; 39]. In addition, this result allows us to conclude that the three mixes of composots reached a very high degree of maturity, and therefore allows to answer the main question about the feasibility of using composoting for the treatment of textile waste. Although composoting is a biological treatment that relies primarily on microbial activity, the evaluation of such activity and the mechanism of action of these microorganisms on organic matter can only be achieved by monitoring changes in the environmental conditions, such as temperature, moisture, pH, and electrical conductivity. Several authors have explained that there is an interdependent relationship between environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, pH, and electrical conductivity), nutritional properties, and microbial activity [4]. In this context, the increase in activity of microbes and their metabolic reactions during composoting causes a release of energy, and, therefore, an increase in temperature, which is followed by evaporation of the water [32]; this explains the increase in temperature and decrease in humidity during composoting, and these results are equally linked to the increase in electrical conductivity, owing to the release of salt during the degradation of organic matter. The increase in electrical conductivity could explain the low germination index GI obtained with compost C compared to the other composots; the high concentration of salts in compost C could have a detrimental effect on plant growth. Indeed, the noteworthy decrease in pH could be linked to the presence of organic acids and/or the degradation of certain molecules such as carbohydrates by microorganisms [40].