Fate of Pesticides in Calcutta's Municipal Solid Waste:Effect of Composting

摘要

Composting organic matter from MSW to produce materials that can be recycled in cultivated soils to provide nutrients and organic carbon is a practice that may be worth encouraging if a considerable reduction in the presence of contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, glass, and plastics can be achieved. This study revealed that the levels of toxic organics in the present compost samples were extremely small and the results will provide information for the general public to make an objective judgment on composting as an alternative for waste management in a tropical country like India, which lacks such data on MSW compost.