Compuestos orgánicos volátiles (VOCs) en el proceso de compostaje de los residuos sólidos urbanos con separación en la fuente y su efecto en la salud humana

Abstract

Composting is a process of stabilization of organic matter whose end product is compost, and this applied to the soil is an alternative to improve recovery of the structure, in addition to their physical, chemical and biological weapons. During the composting process, presents the odor emission, which are associated with different compounds that are generated during the mineralization and condensation of organic matter. These include the VOC's, many of which are dangerous to plants, animals and humans. In this study we determined and qualified the generation of VOCs by gas chromatography coupled to mass, during a composting process of urban solid waste source separation process carried out for seven weeks. Parallel to the VOC's were analyzed physicochemical and microbiological variables which at the end of the process complied with the NTC-5167. It was an approach to the emission potential of the process, finding nearly 311 VOCs most notably compounds, aromatics, polycyclic aromatic, aliphatic and steroid, along the entire process of composting, the third and fourth week of the increased generation of 141 and 158 respectively, which highlights the xylenes (or, m, p), toluene, ethylbenzene known to have adverse health effects.