UMH - COMPOSTING PROCESS FUNDAMENTALS

Contents

COMPOSTING PROCESS FUNDAMENTALS

Course

Code: 3271

Degree: Master's in Management, Treatment and Use of Organic Waste

School of Engineering of Orihuela

Year: Year 1 of Master's in Management, Treatment and Use of Organic Waste

Semester: Fall

Type: Elective

Language: Spanish

ECTS credits: 3

Lecture: 3

Laboratory: 0

Hours: 75

Directed: 30

Shared: 9

Autonomous: 36

Subject matter: Composting

Module: Organic Waste Treatment and Stabilization

Course instructors are responsible for the course content descriptions in English.

Description

Background. Composting basis. Comprehensive vision. Principal factors in the process. Environmental conditions. Control parameters. Parameters concerning the nature of the substrate. Beneficial and harmful microorganisms. Microbial ecology. Composting biochemistry. Improving composting and products deriving from composting microorganisms. Development and control of the process. Classification of composting technologies. Available technologies. Effect of immature compost in the soil-plant system. Criteria and methods for determining maturity. Advanced instrumental techniques. Background. Vermicomposting process definition. Organisms involved. Control factors in the process. Vermicomposting system types. Final products.

This course also affords students the following specific competencies:
- Classifying the distinct types of organic waste treatment and stabilization and understanding their basis.
- An understanding of the necessary conditions in terms of the composition of the materials and the technical requirements for each method of treating organic waste.
- Establishing the main control parameters of the different processes of organic waste treatment.
- Understanding the evolution of physical, chemical, and microbiological processes in organic waste treatment.
- Assessing the degree of organic waste treatment and the quality of the material obtained.

Faculty

Name	Coordinator	Lecture	Laboratory
PAREDES GIL, CONCEPCION	■	■	■
NOGALES VARGAS-MACHUCA, ROGELIO		■	■
HUERTA PUJOL, OSCAR		■	■
LOPEZ MARTINEZ, MARGARITA		■	■

Professional interest

The contents of this subject will contribute to the formation and training of future researchers and professionals of the waste management sector. This subject is based on the knowledge of the principal alternatives of treatment and stabilization, theoretical and practical bases of the treatment and advantages and disadvantages of every alternative.

Competencies and learning outcomes

General competencies

Acquire scientific knowledge about organic waste management.
Identify and resolve problems related to organic waste management.
Ability to design and manage projects.
Ability to adapt to scientific advances, continuous improvement, innovation, and creativity in the field of organic waste management.
Capacity for analysis and synthesis of information.
Critical and analytical capacity in the environmental field.
Capacity for making decisions.
Ability to communicate orally and in writing about the knowledge acquired.
Ethical and environmental commitment to develop sustainable scientific solutions within the human and natural environments.

Specialty competencies

Understand the necessary conditions with respect to the composition of materials and technical requirements of each of the methods of organic waste treatment.
Classify the distinct types of organic waste treatment and stabilization and understand their basis.
Understand the evolution of physical, chemical, and microbiological processes in organic waste treatment.
Assess the degree of organic waste treatment and the quality of the material obtained.

Objectives (Learning outcomes)

To analyze the impact of the organic matter and its management on the human activity and the social development
To know the history, aims and reasons of the organic waste composting
To know the composting principles, its benefits and the problems of an inappropiate use.
To join knowledges on Biology, Physics and Chemistry to explain the composting principles
To know the vermicompoting process antecedents
To know what factors limit the organism development in the vermicomposting process
To understand the changes of wastes during the vermicomposting process
To identify the technologies available to this process at scale domestic, laboratory, pilot plant and industrial
To evaluate the quality of the obtained final products and their agricultural and environmental uses

Teaching units

Basic bibliography

Complementary bibliography

Methodology and grading

Methodology

Case studies: Learning through the analysis of actual or simulated cases in order to interpret and resolve them by employing various alternative solution procedures.
Cooperative learning: Develop active learning through cooperative working strategies among students and promote shared responsibility to reach group goals.
Learning agreement: Develop active learning through an agreement between the teacher and the student containing commitments for what will be learned, how monitoring will take place for that learning, the set period of time, and the evaluation criteria.
Lecture: Pass on knowledge and activate cognitive processes in students, encouraging their participation.
Problem-based learning: Develop active learning strategies through problem solving that promote thinking, experimentation, and decision making in the student.
Solving exercises and problems: Exercise, test, and apply previous knowledge through routine repetition.

Grading

The students can choose between two evaluation types:

Option A. Evaluation with one exam: One exam (short questions, test questions, and practical problems) will be conducted into the official evaluation period. The students will pass this exam if its minimum mark is 5/10.

Option B. Continuous Evaluation:
- Exam of theorical knowledges (40% of the mark). It will be one or more on-line exams into the e-learning platform used in the master, set in specific date/s and time. These exams will be test questions about the theoretical and practical contents. Minimum mark necessary for averaging with the mark of the practice notebook is 4/10.
- Practice notebook (60% of the mark). This document will collect all the activities developed by the student through the course (case studies, short questions, problems and self-evaluation test). Minimum mark necessary for averaging with the mark of the exam of theorical knowledges is 4/10.

Students: COMPOSTING PROCESS FUNDAMENTALS

General competencies

Specialty competencies

Objectives (Learning outcomes)

Lecture topics

Teaching units

Course contents

Basic bibliography

Complementary bibliography

Links

Software

Methodology

Grading