TY - JOUR ID - TI - The effects of Insects on the Physicochemical Characteristics During Composting AU - Sayran Yousif Jalal AU - Nihal Suhail Hanna AU - Yahya Ahmed Shekha PY - 2019 VL - 60 IS - 11 SP - 2426 EP - 2432 JO - Iraqi Journal of Science المجلة العراقية للعلوم SN - 00672904 23121637 AB - Insects have a vital role in solid waste composting process. Insects are detritusfeeders that enhance changing the physical and chemical properties of decomposedmaterials during composting processes. This behavior makes insects excellentorganisms in recycling of organic matter. The present study assesses the success ofinsects’ population in relation with the degradation of solid waste. The study wascarried out in the glass house facility of the College of Science, SalahaddinUniversity in Erbil City, Kurdistan region of Iraq, using household organic waste.During composting process, three stages of lifecycle of insects were observed andrecorded. The total number of insects reached to 1268 individuals, belonging to theorders Coleoptera and Diptera, class Insects. Diptera individuals were the mostabundant insects with 95.4% of the total belonged to four families (Muscidae,Calliphoridae, Ulidiidae and Milichiidae). Coleoptera individuals represented 4.6%of the total number, belonging to three families (Promecheilidae, Staphylinidae andSalpingidae). The measured physicochemical characteristics of the compostincluded: pH, EC, moisture, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorousand organic matter. The pH value of the composts ranged from 7.79 to 7.97. Organiccarbon content and organic matter content ranged from 20.16 to 26.99 % and 34.67to 46.23 %, respectively. It can concluded that household waste compost is not just awaste but has the potential to be transformed into a good quality organic fertilizerthrough composting. Composting can convert solid organic waste into a valuableadded material.

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