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Quiz yourself on DecompositionGet your flashcardsBuild my revision planTrack my progress♻️ Composting and Biogas
Compost heaps use the same decomposition process to recycle garden and kitchen waste into nutrient-rich compost. To maximise decomposition rate in a compost heap, gardeners:
- Turn the heap regularly — introduces oxygen, maintaining aerobic conditions for faster decomposition
- Add water if dry — maintains moisture for enzyme activity
- Shred large items — increases surface area for enzyme contact
- Insulate the heap — retains heat generated by decomposer metabolism, keeping temperatures near the enzyme optimum
Biogas generators use anaerobic decomposition to produce a mixture of gases (mainly methane, CH₄, and carbon dioxide, CO₂) from organic waste material. The biogas can be burned as fuel for heating or electricity generation. Biogas generators are maintained under strictly anaerobic conditions because the methane-producing bacteria (methanogens) are obligate anaerobes — they only function in the absence of oxygen.
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