SD and AC participated in the molecular studies and the phylogenetic analysis.

MD participated in the design of the study. YX participated in the molecular studies. CB participated in the design of the study and to draft the manuscript, JM conceived the check details study, and participated in its design and coordination, and helped to draft the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.”
“Background Composting is an aerobic process, during which organic waste is biologically degraded by micro-organisms to humus-like material. The end product should not contain pathogens or viable seeds, and it should be stable and suitable for use as a soil amendment [1]. Many factors such as oxygen content, moisture, composition of the feed, pH, and temperature, affect the composting process and ultimately the end product. Furthermore, these parameters are strongly connected. The source of separated biowaste, as collected and treated in the Nordic countries and other cold climate areas, primarily consists

of food waste which in itself buy SBI-0206965 has a low pH and contains high quantities of carbohydrates that form organic acids upon degradation. The low initial pH limits microbial activity and delays the increase in temperature [2, 3]. In recent years, composting has attracted much attention as a viable and environmentally sensible alternative for treatment of organic municipal waste. In 2005, the European commission prohibited final deposition of municipal waste in landfills without prior treatment (Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC). Currently there are 22 composting Ferrostatin-1 plants for

municipal organic waste in Finland. Unfortunately, a number of problems have appeared in many of these plants [4]. Due to insufficient aeration of selleck compound the drum or tunnel composting units, or from running the units at overcapacity, the start-up of the composting process is in many cases slow which delays reaching the thermophilic phase of the process. The resulting immature material emerging from the drums/tunnels requires a prolonged maturation and stabilization in windrows. Malodorous emissions from these windrows have in some cases been extensive [3]. Immature compost can also be a health-risk for people/workers handling the compost mass and may preclude its use as a fertilizer. Both bacteria and fungi are present and active in a typical composting process [5]. Earlier studies have revealed that major bacterial groups in the beginning of the composting process are mesophilic organic acid producing bacteria such as Lactobacillus spp. and Acetobacter spp. [6]. Later, at the thermophilic stage, Gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus spp. and Actinobacteria, become dominant [7]. However, it has been observed that the most efficient composting process is achieved by mixed communities of bacteria and fungi [8].