ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of the Addition of Foils Produced
from Polyethylene and Maize Starch to Composted
Biomass on Quantitative and Qualitative
Composition of Humic Compounds
and Optic Parameters of Humic Acids
Krzysztof Gondek, Monika Tabak, Małgorzata Koncewicz-Baran, Michał Kopeć
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Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of Agriculture in Cracow,
A. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Cracow, Poland
Submission date: 2015-01-24
Final revision date: 2015-09-21
Acceptance date: 2015-09-21
Publication date: 2015-11-27
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2015;24(6):2397-2403
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ABSTRACT
We conducted this research in order to evaluate the effect of adding foils produced from polyethylene
and maize starch on the quality of composts by means of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of humic compounds.
Plant waste to which an 8% addition of foil was introduced (three foils with a different share of polyethylene
and maize starch were examined) was the subject of the research. Five variants of compost were subjected
to analysis: C1 – biomass without the addition of foil (control), C2 – biomass + foil 1, C3 – biomass +
foil 2, C4 – biomass + foil 3, and C5 – biomass + foil 3 + microbiological inoculum. Composts that contained
foil but not the inoculum were characterized by a higher total carbon content than the control compost;
the addition of inoculum caused a decrease in total carbon content. The compost did not differ significantly in
the humic acid carbon content, but a diversity in the fulvic acid carbon content was found. The ratio of humic
acid to fulvic acid carbon content was most favorable in the (C2) compost. The addition of foil led to a slowdown
of biomass humification. Composts with the addition of foil contained more non-hydrolyzing carbon
than the control.