Literature Review
The Physical Properties of Compost
Mead, R.M., J.E. Ayars and J. Liu. 1995. Evaluating the influence of soil texture, bulk density and
soil water salinity on a capacitance probe calibration. Paper no. 95-3264. American Society
of Agricultural Engineering, Chicago, Illinois.
Mears, D.R., M.E.Singley and G.Ali. 1975. Thermal and physical properties of compost. In:
W.J.Jewell (ed.) Ann Arbor Science Publishers, Proceedings of the 7th Agricultural Waste Man-
agement Conference, Cornell University:515-527.
Michel, F.C. Jr., L.J. Forney, A.J.-F. Huang, S. Drew, M. Czuprenski, J.D. Lindebergy and C.A.
Reddy. 1996. Effects of turning frequency, leaves to grass mix ratio and windrow vs. pile con-
figuration on the composting of yard trimmings. Compost Science and Utilization, 4(1):26-43.
Miller, F.C. 1989. Matric water potential as an ecological determinant in compost, a substrate
dense system. Microbial Ecology, 18:59-71.
Miller, F.C. 1991. Biodegradation of solid wastes by composting. In: Martin A.M. (ed.). Biologi-
cal degradation of Wastes, Elsevier Applied Science, London, 2-29.
Miller, F.C. 1993. Composting as a process based on the control of ecologically selective fac-
tors. In: Metting F.B., Jr, (ed.). Soil Microbial Ecology, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York:
515-544.
Mohsenin, N.N. 1983. Electromagnetic Radiation Properties of Foods and Agricultural Products.
Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, New York, New York.
Mohsenin, N.N. 1986. Physical Properties of Plant and Animal Materials. 2nd Ed. Gordon and
Breach Science Publishers, New York, New York.
Mu, R. and J.J. Leonard. 1999. Measurement of air flow through MSW-sewage sludge compost.
Canadian Agricultural Engineering, 41(2):93-97.
Nakasaki, K., M.Shoda and H.Kubota. 1986. Effects of a bulking agent on the reaction rate of
thermophilic sewage sludge composting. J. Fermentation Technology, 64(6):539-544.
Nakasaki, K., Y.Nakano, T.Akiyama, M.Shoda and H.Kubota. 1987. Oxygen diffusion and mi-
crobial activity in the composting of dehydrated sewage sludge cakes. J. Fermentation Tech-
nology, 65(1):43-48.
Nappi, P. and R. Barberis. 1993. Compost as growing medium: chemical, physical and biologi-
cal aspects. Acta Horticulturae, 342:249-256.
Nguyen, M. and S. Abboud. 2000. Measuring moisture content in compost. Proceedings of the 10th
Annual Composting Council Conference, Edmonton, AB.
NSC 1996. Organic soil conditions-composts-determination of oxygen uptake-respirometric
method. National Standard of Canada, CAN/BNQ 0413-220.
Oppenheimer, J., Martin, A.G., and Walker, L.P. 1997. Measurements of air-filled porosity in un-
saturated organic matrices using a pycnometer. Bioresource Technology, 59:241-247.
Pojasok, T. 2000. A field method of measuring compost maturity. Proceedings of the 10th Annual
Composting Council Conference, Edmonton, AB.
Prasad, M. and M.J. Maher. 1993. Physical and chemical properties of fractionated peat. Acta Hor-
ticulturae, 342:257-264.
Puustjärvi V. 1974. Physical properties of peat used in horticulture. Acta Horticulturae,
37:1922-1929.
Puustjärvi V. 1984. Towards peat standards. Proceedings, 7th International Peat Congress, Dublin.
Irish National Peat Committee, 4:419-427.
Rahman, M.S. 1984. Microcalorimetric Measurement of Heat Production and Thermophysical
Properties of Compost. PhD dissertation. Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Rutgers
University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Rahman, S. 1995. Food Properties Handbook. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.
Ramer, S. and J.J. Leonard. 1995. Moisture determination of compost by microwave drying. Pa-
per no. 956637. American Society of Agricultural Engineering, Chicago, Illinois.
Raviv, M., S.Tarre, Z.Geler and G. Shelef. 1987. Changes in some physical and chemical proper-
ties of fibrous solids from cow manure and digested cow manure during composting. Bio-
logical Wastes, 19(4):309-318.
Reinhart, D.R., A.R. de Forest, S.J. Keely and D.R. Vogt. 1993. Composting of yard waste and
wastewater treatment plant sludge mixtures. Compost Science and Utilization, 1(2):58-64.
Reinhart, D.R. and S.D. Trainor. 1995. Windrow co-composting of municipal biosolids and yard
waste. Compost Science and Utilization, 3(2):38-46.
Richard, T.L., H.V.M. Hamelers, A.H.M. Veeken and T. Silva. 2002. Moisture relationships in
composting processes. Compost Science and Utilization, 10(4):286-302.
Ringer, C.E. 1997. Suppression of seedling damping-off disease in potting mix containing ani-
mal manure composts. Compost Science and Utilization, 5(2):6-15.
Compost Science & Utilization
Summer 2003 263