Mesophilic-thermophilic temperature-phased microbial aerobic biodegradation of food waste: feasibility study for rapid in-situ disposal strategy

Effective treatment of food waste (FW) is inherently difficult due to heterogeneous composition, high moisture content, and low heating value. Herein, a feasible FW disposal system via microbial biodegradation from vessel to pilot scale was developed. Facilitated by a novel microbial consortium of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens , Bacillus subtilis , and Aspergillus niger , the total solid removal was improved by 3.4-folds (46.6%) compared with negative control. To couple with bacterial growth and biodegradation related enzyme activity and reduce the electrical energy consumption, a mesophilic-thermophilic temperature-phased aerobic digestion processing was performed in a 40 L self-designed biodegradation tank via daily fed-batch mode, and up to 62.88% of protein, 62.22% of starch and 37.75% of waste oil was respectively decomposed, achieving a total mass reduction of 82.15%. Characterization of the final by-product confirmed its potential to be recycled into resources as organic fertilizers or biosolid fuel. The proposed microbial consortium agent and decentralized mass reduction strategy presented in this study offers practical and environmental approaches for FW management in urban areas.