ARTICLE IN PRESS

Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39 (2007) 1375–1382

www.elsevier.com/locate/soilbio

Effects of municipal solid waste compost and sewage sludge on

mineralization of soil organic matter
Filipe Pedraa,, Alfredo Polob, Alexandra Ribeiroc, Herminia Dominguesd
a
Laboratorio Quimico Agricola Rebelo da Silva, Apartado 3226,1301-903 Lisboa, Portugal
b
CSIC,Centro de Ciencias Medioambientales, Serrano, 115 dpdo, 28006 Madrid, Spain
c
DCEA, Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
d
Estacao Agronomica Nacional, Avenida da Republica, Departamento de Solos, 2784-505 Nova Oeiras, Portugal

Available online 26 December 2006

Abstract

This work sets out to verify whether the application of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) or treated urban sewage sludge (USS)
organic amendments efficiently promote organic matter (OM) increases in a Haplic Podzol (PZha) and in a Calcic Vertisol (VRcc). For
that purpose, carbon (C) mineralization and C kinetic parameters were studied, using a laboratory experimental incubation setup. The
results showed that the addition of the amendments to the soils increased their mineralization capacities, and that the highest C
mineralization rate was reached at the end of the first 2 d of incubation. The different characteristics of the soils seem to have influenced
the C mineralization rates during the 28-d incubation. The USS induced higher C mineralization than the MSWC, and the PZha soil gave
rise to higher C mineralization than VRcc. For all treatments, C mineralization adjusted well to an exponential plus linear kinetic model,
suggesting that the organic C of the amendments was made up of two organic pools of differing degrees of stability. With the exception
of the application of USS 60 t ha1, all the treatments increased the OM content on both soils, or at least the OM remained constant
throughout the incubation.
r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Organic amendments; Soil; Kinetics; Carbon mineralization

1. Introduction The decrease of SOM by erosion and leaching is

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a major role in
maintaining soil quality. In addition to supplying plant
nutrients, the type and amount of SOM influences several
soil properties, particularly those related to physical
conditions (Costa et al., 1991; Stevenson, 1994; Van-Camp
et al., 2004; Clapp et al., 2005). Increasing the soil organic
carbon (SOC) content also enhances soil quality, reduces
soil erosion, improves water quality, increases biomass and
agronomic productivity, and improves environmental
quality by adsorbing pollutants from natural waters and
reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration
(Lal and Kimble, 1999).
Corresponding author. Tel.: +351 21 3617740; fax: +351 21 3636460.
E-mail address: filipepedra@netcabo.pt (F. Pedra).
considered one of the most important threats to soil (Blum
et al., 2004; Van-Camp et al., 2004) and this loss can only
be overcome, in the short-term, by the application of
organic matter (OM), such as organic amendments (Han
et al., 2000; Dias, 2004; Parnaudeau et al., 2004; Van-
Camp et al., 2004). Therefore, it is of the utmost
importance to have stringent quality requirements for the
materials to be applied in order to achieve the expected
beneficial effects that these amendments create for the long
term. According to the EU Commission, the main limiting
factors of amendment applications to soils are related to
the eventual addition of organic and/or inorganic pollu-
tants and microbial contaminants (Van-Camp et al., 2004).
Furthermore, the use of immature amendments can cause
phytotoxic effects, as well as nitrogen (N) deficiency and
reduction in plant yield (Bernal et al., 1998b). Indeed, the
degradation of wastes containing a high percentage of

0038-0717/$ - see front matter r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.12.014
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
1376 F. Pedra et al. / Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39 (2007) 1375–1382

soluble organic C, in forms such as amino acids or directly proportional to the amount present at any time
carbohydrates, leads to a flush of CO2 production (Whitmore, 1996). Although alternatives to this model
immediately after their addition to the soil. This may have also been presented, most of these include several
cause high CO2 concentrations and low oxygen (O2) organic pools of different degrees of stability (Bernal et al.,
concentrations, that may lead to O2 deficiency in the 1998a). The kinetic model used in this study is the
rhizosphere, and consequently anaerobic and reducing exponential plus linear one (Bonde et al., 1988), which
conditions in the soil (Bernal et al., 1998a). For these considers a labile pool decomposing with an exponential
reasons, it is necessary to know the stability and the degree kinetics, and a resistant pool decomposing linearly
of maturity of the amendments before these are applied to (Alvarez and Alvarez, 2000; McLauchlan and Hobbie,
the soil. Is it advisable therefore, to take these risks when 2004).
such applications may not show improvements in the Our aim was to verify whether the application of two
physical and chemical properties of soils? different organic amendments efficiently promotes OM
Although the C/N ratio is one of the quality criteria of increases in two distinct soils from Portugal. For this
amendments that is considered most, it is sometimes purpose, the C mineralization and the C kinetic parameters
inadequate for predicting decomposition kinetics (Thuriès were studied using a laboratory experimental incubation
et al., 2002). Van-Camp et al. (2004) also state that the setup.
SOM composition is often represented by the C/N ratio,
but the location of the residue and its size are also 2. Materials and methods
important.
McLauchlan and Hobbie (2004) suggest four common 2.1. Soils for mineralization test
chemical, physical, and biological methods to empirically
measure labile SOM. These are the light fraction C, Two types of soil were used in the incubation test.
hydrolysable C, respiration from soils incubated in the Composite soil samples were collected at the 0–20 cm
laboratory, and microbial biomass C. However, respiration depth, at Pegões and Queluz, Portugal, corresponding,
(a biological method) continues to be the most popular respectively, to a Haplic Podzol (PZha) and to a Calcic
method to estimate microbial activity and substrate Vertisol (VRcc) (FAO, 1998). The characteristics of these
decomposition in soils (Zibilske, 1994). Biological separa- soils are given in Table 1. The soils were air-dried in a
tion empirically separates labile from recalcitrant SOM by constant temperature room (25 1C), crushed and sieved
allowing microbes to mineralize SOM under controlled through a 2.0-mm sieve, then dried in an oven at 25 1C to
temperature and moisture conditions and in the absence of constant weight.
new organic inputs (McLauchlan and Hobbie, 2004).
This method assumes that microbes first mineralize the 2.2. Amendments
most labile C, with later mineralization of the resistant
ones. The technique involves measuring CO2 produced by Two amendments were used for the experiment: urban
mineralization of SOM during the course of laboratory sewage sludge (USS) and municipal solid waste compost
incubation (Alvarez and Alvarez, 2000; McLauchlan and (MSWC). The USS was sampled after the anaerobic
Hobbie, 2004). digestion treatment at Frielas Wastewater Treatment
Rates of OM decomposition depend upon several Plant, near Lisbon, Portugal. The compost was produced
factors, ranging from the type of organic amendments to in the Amarsul MSW Composting Plant (Setúbal, Portu-
the soil type and properties, the climatic conditions and gal), where the OM bio-oxidation was carried out during
land management practices. Although OM decomposition an approximately 8 weeks period. This process was
studies are numerous, few researchers have addressed the
relative importance of direct and indirect mechanisms of Table 1
soil texture control on OM stabilization. In general, the Characteristics of the soils and experimental organic amendments
quantity and nature of the soil clay affects the amount
of C stabilized in soil, since fine textured soils (clays) Propertya Soil Amendment
often contain higher amounts of OM than sandy soils PZha VRcc MSWC USS
(Mtambanengwe et al., 2004).
The fitting of kinetic equations to mineralization curves pH (H2O) 5.1 7.4 7.6 7.8
allows the calculation of the potentially mineralizable C Clay (%) 1.5 35 NDb ND
Sand (%) 93 39 ND ND
fraction, and its mineralization rate. Several kinetic models Organic matter (%) 0.65 0.85 54 54
have been used to describe the effects of amendment Total carbon (%) 0.68 1.1 25 23
composition (Bernal et al., 1998a, b; Alvarez and Alvarez, Total nitrogen (%) 0.04 0.12 2.2 3.6
2000; Thuriès et al., 2001; McLauchlan and Hobbie, 2004). Organic nitrogen (%) ND ND 1.8 3.4
The first-order kinetic model has been widely applied in C C/N ratio 17 8.8 11 6.4
mineralization studies, due to its versatility (Bernal et al., a
Values on a dry weight basis.
1998a), where the amount of amendment decomposing is b
ND, not determined.
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
F. Pedra et al. / Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39 (2007) 1375–1382
conducted in an enclosure kept under controlled aerobic
conditions. During the process, periodic moisture measure-
ments were made (using compost moisture meters) and the
compost piles were turned at 5 d intervals leading to a final
compost moisture content of about 35%. The amendments
were air-dried in a constant temperature room (25 1C), and
in order to obtain representative samples, the amendments
were finely ground to 74 mm (CEN/TC 223, 2003). Some of
their characteristics are shown in Table 1.
2.3. Experimental treatments
Ten experimental treatments with three replicates were
carried out using the two amendments on the two topsoil
samples, PZha (A) and VRcc soils (B), at the following
rates (dry weight):
T0A and T0B—Control (unamended soil); T1A and
T1B—Application of 30 t ha1 of MSWC; T2A and T2B—
Application of 60 t ha1 of MSWC; T3A and T3B—
Application of 30 t ha1 of USS; and T4A and T4B—
Application of 60 t ha1 of USS.
2.4. Incubation procedure
The experiment was conducted in an incubator under
laboratory-controlled conditions (Polo et al., 1984). Soil
samples (75.0 g ofo2.0 mm) were thoroughly mixed with
0.75 g (equivalent to 30 t ha1) or with 1.5 g (equivalent to
60 t ha1) of organic amendments and placed in Erlen-
meyer flasks. Ultra-pure water was added to all treatments,
in order to bring their moisture content to 75% of water-
holding capacity. The Erlenmeyer flasks were closed and
put into a water bath for 28 d at 28 1C. The CO2-C released
from the microbes was trapped in 0.1 M NaOH and
titrated with 0.2 M HCl, using phenolphthalein indicator,
after precipitation with 20% BaCl2. The C mineralization
was measured daily during the first 10 d and then every 3 d
for a 28-d period.
2.5. Data calculation
The fraction of added C mineralized from experimental
treatments at each sampling time was estimated utilising
the following equations:
CO2 Caia
Cmia ¼ , (1)
S
where Cmia is the respired fraction of experimental
treatments (moisture soils and amendments) at sampling
time i and replication a, CO2 Caia is the amount of C evolved
from the amended ia samples and S is the amount of soil
evolved from the experimental treatment ia samples;
CO2 Ccia
ECmia ¼ , (2)
S calculate the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least
where ECmia is the endogenous respired fraction of control
treatments (soils without any amendment addition) at
1377
sampling time i and replication a and CO2 Ccia is the amount
of C evolved from the control ia samples;
1X 3
Cmi ¼ Cmia , (3)
n a¼1
where Cmi is the mean respired fraction of experimental
treatments at sampling time i (n ¼ 3 replicates);
CCMFi ¼ CCMFi1 þ Cmi (4)
where CCMFi and CCMFi1 are the mean mineralized
experimental treatments at sampling time i (cumulative
values of respired fraction of experimental treatments with
CCMF0 ¼ 0);
CO2 Caia  CO2 Ccia
CYCmia ¼ , (5)
Ca
where CYCmia is the complementary respired fraction of
experimental treatments at sampling time i and replication
a and Ca is the total amendment C content;
1X 3
CYCmi ¼ CYCmia , (6)
n a¼1
where CYCmi is the mean complementary respired fraction
of experimental treatments at sampling time i (n ¼ 3
replicates);
CYCMFi ¼ CCYMFi1 þ CYCmi (7)
where CYCMFi and CCYMFi1 are the mean mineralized
experimental treatments at sampling time i (complemen-
tary values of respired fraction of experimental treatments
with CYCMF0 ¼ 0).
2.6. Modelling of mineralization dynamics and pool sizes
The quantities and rates of labile and resistant C
mineralized during the course of the incubation were
calculated by parameterizing two-pool models (Alvarez
and Alvarez, 2000; McLauchlan and Hobbie, 2004) with
non-linear regression curve fitting, applying Statgraphics
Plus 5.1 software package to the equation:
 
Ct ¼ Cl  1  ekl t þ kr t, (8)
where Ct is the known cumulative amount of C respired at
sampling period t, Cl is the C labile pool, kl is the labile
pool mineralization constant, kr is the resistant pool
mineralization rate and t is the time. During the curve
fitting, Ct and Cl were expressed as mg of C per 100 g of
soil, kl was expressed per day, and kr was expressed as mg
of C per 100 g of soil per day.
2.7. Statistical analysis
Statgraphics Plus 5.1 software package was used to
significant difference (Duncan) at P ¼ 0.05, in cumu-
lative and complementary C mineralization treatments.

1378 F. Pedra et al. / Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39 (2007) 1375–1382
The standard deviation of the kinetic parameters and the
F-values of the curve fits were used to test the significance
of established models.
3. Results
3.1. Physico-chemical properties of soil and organic
amendments
According to LQARS (2000), the PZha soil presented an
acid reaction while the VRcc soil was neutral. Both soils
showed low levels of OM. Both amendments had a neutral
pH, and considerable OM content. According to the
Portuguese Standard (NP 1048-2, 1990), USS is considered
a fertilizer and MSWC an organic corrective. Their C/N
ratio indicates that they are mature materials (Lancho
et al., 1982; de Varennes, 2003).
3.2. Carbon mineralization
The amendment applications increased the amount of
soil biomass in relation to the control in all experimental
treatments (Fig. 1). Significant differences were observed
among CO2-C evolution rates during the incubation, and
among the experimental treatments (Pp0.001). The max-
imum C mineralization rate occurred in the first day of
incubation in all treatments, except for T4B (Fig. 1(b)). At
this time, the highest C mineralization rate occurred in
T4A (Fig. 1(a)) on the PZha soil (17.4 mg CO2-C
100 g1 d1) and in T2B on the VRcc soil (14.7 mg CO2-
C 100 g1 d1). During the incubation, the highest amend-
ment levels induced larger C mineralization rates in both
soils. After the initially high mineralization rate, a gradual
decrease was observed in all treatments, before becoming
constant.
The C mineralization rate became constant earlier in the
PZha soil than in the VRcc soil. In the PZha soil the rate at
a b
20
15
mg CO2-C 100 g-1 d-1
10
5 5
0 0
0 4 8 12 16
Days
T0A T1A T2A
Fig. 1. Evolution rate of CO2-C during the incubation period on PZha (a) and VRcc (b) soils.
ARTICLE IN PRESS
the end of the incubation period was highest in T3A and
T4A (0.649 and 0.861 mg CO2-C 100 g1 d1, respectively)
and lowest in T1A and T2A (0.435 and 0.595 mg CO2-C
100 g1 d1, respectively). However, in the VRcc soil, at the
end of the incubation the rate was highest in T4B and T2B
(1.83 and 1.76 mg CO2-C 100 g1 d1, respectively) and
lowest in T3B and T1B (1.48 and 1.14 mg CO2-C
100 g1 d1, respectively). At the end of the incubation all
rates in both soils were higher than in the control treatment
(0.187 (PZha) and 0.427 (VRcc) mg CO2-C 100 g1 g d1)
(Fig. 1).
3.3. Cumulative mineralized carbon
The application of the amendments to both soils induced
a remarkable effect on the cumulative mineralized C
(Pp0.001). The total amount of CO2-C released from the
VRcc soil was higher than that released by the PZha soil.
The total amount of CO2-C released after 28 d of
incubation for the PZha (Soil A) ranged from 4.75 to
82.0 and for the VRcc (Soil B) from 20.8 to 106 mg CO2-C
100 g1 soil (Table 2), decreasing in the following order:
T4A4T2A4T3A ¼ T1A4T0A and T4B ¼ T2B4T3B4
T1B4T0B, according to the Duncan test.
For both soils, the average of the mineralized C
increased with increasing rates of applied OM, and the
T4 was higher than the T2. However, the T3 and T1 were
not significantly different (Table 2).
3.4. Complementary mineralized carbon
The complementary mineralized C shows the ‘‘real’’
mineralization capacity that the amendment addition
provides to the soils, as compared with the endogenous
mineralization of the control treatment. For both soils, the
amount of mineralized C increased with the amount of OM
applied. Consequently, significant differences were verified
20
15
mg CO2-C 100 g-1 d-1
10
20 24 28 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28
Days
T3A T4A T0B T1B T2B T3B T4B
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F. Pedra et al. / Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39 (2007) 1375–1382 1379

Table 2
Mean cumulative mineralized carbon from PZha and VRcc soils amended with MSWC and USS and from amendments MSWC and USS at different
application rates after 28 days of incubation

Treatmentsa Soil Amendment

Pzha (mg CO2– VRcc (mg CO2– MSWC (mg CO2– USS (mg CO2–
C 100 g1 d1b) C 100 g1 d1b) C 100 g1 d1b) C 100 g1 d1b)

T0 4.75gc 20.8f 12.8d 12.8d

T1 44.0e 61.0d 52.5c —
T2 69.4c 100a 84.8b —
T3 45.1e 69.5c — 57.3c
T4 82.0b 106a — 93.8a
a
Treatments: T0, Control; T1 and T2, application of 30 and 60 t ha1 of MSWC, respectively; T3 and T4, application of 30 and 60 t ha1 of USS,
respectively.
b
Values on a dry weight basis.
c
Mean values followed by the same letter do not differ significantly (Duncan test, P ¼ 0.05).

Table 3
Mean complementary mineralized carbon from PZha and VRcc soils amended with MSWC and USS, and from amendments MSWC and USS at different
application levels after 28 days of incubation

Treatmentsa Soil Amendment

b b
Pzha (mg CO2–C 100 g 1
C ) VRcc (mg CO2–C 100 g 1
C ) MSWC (mg CO2–C 100 g1 Cb) USS (mg CO2–C 100 g1 Cb)

T0 699hc 2072g 1386e 1386e

T1 4226de 3015f 3620d —
T2 5477b 5058bc 5268b —
T3 4445cd 3739e — 4092c
T4 6802a 5567b — 6185a
a
Treatments: T0, Control; T1 and T2, application of 30 and 60 t ha1 of MSWC, respectively; T3 and T4, application of 30 and 60 t ha1 of USS,
respectively.
b
Values on a dry weight basis.
c
Mean values followed by the same letter do not differ significantly (Duncan test, P ¼ 0.05).

with time in the complementary mineralization rate and
among the treatments (Pp0.001). The complementary
mineralized C results show that the endogenous miner-
alization on VRcc was higher than on PZha (Table 3).
Nevertheless, the complementary mineralized C in T1, T3
and T4 were statistically higher on the PZha than on the
VRcc. In both soils the T2 and T4 shows a higher
complementary mineralization rate and the USS applica-
tion induced the highest complementary C mineralization
(Table 3).
3.5. Modelling of mineralization dynamics and pool sizes
Our kinetic model offers an acceptable description of the
C mineralization kinetics in all treatments and on both
soils (Pp0.001).
The rapid mineralization values obtained pointed out the
existence of a large easily degradable C fraction in the
treatments with the amendments used. In fact, the
application of the amendments to the soil produced a
higher C labile pool than the control (Table 4). However, in
both soils, the k1 shows that the differences between the
faster C mineralization pools were very small.
As expected, the potentially mineralizable C (Cl) and
resistant pool mineralization rate (kr) on both soils
(Table 4) increased with the amount of OM applied. The
amount of amendment decomposing is directly propor-
tional to the amount present at any time.
In the VRcc and PZha soils, the kl was very similar
among the control and the other treatments (Table 4),
suggesting that the kinetic mineralization was regulated by
the different soils characteristics.
4. Discussion
4.1. Carbon mineralization
The amendment applications increased the soil biomass in
relation to the control (Levi-Minzi et al., 1990; Calderon et
al., 2004; Naher et al., 2004; Parnaudeau et al., 2004). This
occurred because the presence of a high concentration of
easily degradable organic C in the amendments led to a large
growth of the microbial population in the soil (Ajwa and
Tabatabai, 1994; Bernal et al., 1998a; Stemmer et al., 2000).
Sarmah and Bordoloi (1995) reported that the CO2-C
rate evolution was greater during the first week of
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1380 F. Pedra et al. / Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39 (2007) 1375–1382

Table 4
Exponential plus linear equation model parameters and F-values for carbon mineralization in PZha and VRcc soilsa

Soil Treatments Cl (mg C 100 g1 soil) kl (d1) kr (mg C 100 g1 soil) r2 (%) F

PZha T0A 7.02 0.037 0.005 94.4 365

T1A 38.3 0.206 0.147 97.2 772
T2A 62.2 0.207 0.174 98.7 1593
T3A 37.8 0.205 0.195 95.5 522
T4A 72.9 0.178 0.236 97.9 1144
VRcc T0B 19.5 0.140 0.057 96.5 663
T1B 56.6 0.144 0.089 99.3 3057
T2B 93.2 0.147 0.148 99.4 3515
T3B 64.9 0.122 0.124 98.8 1879
T4B 95.1 0.155 0.240 98.3 1176
a
Values on a dry weight basis.
 Significant at the probability level Pp0.001.

incubation with different types of OM. Similar results were
also obtained by Diaz-Burgos et al. (1993); Stemmer et al.
(2000); Thuriès et al. (2001); Thuriès et al. (2002); and
Naher et al. (2004).
4.2. Cumulative mineralized carbon
The cumulative C results are lower when compared with
data from the literature (e.g., Naher et al., 2004). Our
results may be explained by the lower C/N ratios of the
experimental amendments, inducing their high stability.
In fact, similar results were obtained when applying
amendments with C/N ratios of similar magnitude by
Diaz-Burgos et al. (1993).
The cumulative CO2-C mineralization on both soils,
after 28 d of decomposition, seems to become steady in all
treatments suggesting that, after this period of time, the
amendments are mature enough for field application.
4.3. Complementary mineralized carbon
The different soil texture and total organic C content of
both soils may explain the differences between endogenous
mineralization on VRcc and PZha soils. There is no
consensus from the literature with regard to the effect of
soil texture, especially clay content, on SOM. However,
some authors obtained significant increases in soil micro-
bial biomass C, as the clay percentage increased (Saggar
et al., 1994) and a strong correlation between soil C and the
percentage of clay (Sorensen, 1981; Saggar et al., 1994).
It has also been shown that, at a soil pH of 5 and below,
biological activity becomes inhibited, thereby promoting a
decrease in the rate of SOM decomposition (Bronson et al.,
1998; Brye et al., 2004).
The C mineralization decreases with increasing clay
content (Mtambanengwe et al., 2004) and this fact can
explain why the complementary mineralized C for the
treatments with higher amendments rates was higher on the
PZha than on the VRcc.
Alvarez and Alvarez (2000) and Mtambanengwe et al.
(2004) affirm that clay particles are believed to protect
some of the more easily decomposable organic compounds,
and pores smaller than 75 mm are responsible for the
protection of organic substrates against microbial
decomposition in soils (Mtambanengwe et al., 2004). The
effect of clay in increasing the content of OM in soil is
possibly caused by newly synthesized matter, extracellular
metabolites, as well as cellular material, forming biostable
complexes and aggregates with clay (Sorensen, 1981). Two
mechanisms have been put forward to explain the effect of
soil texture on OM decomposition: (1) the protective action
by clays against OM degradation through the formation of
complexes between ions associated with large clay surfaces;
and (2) high CEC and accessibility by soil microbes
(Mtambanengwe et al., 2004). However, Whitmore (1996)
states that the amount of CO2 produced is independent
of soil type and suggests that the decomposition of labile
OM takes place independent of the ability of the soil to
protect OM.
It has also been suggested (Levi-Minzi et al., 1990) that
the amendments which present a complementary miner-
alization rate of about 5% are good enough to maintain an
effective amount of OM in the soil.
The usual agricultural practice consists of the addition
of organic wastes to the soil some weeks before sowing
in order to allow the soil microorganisms to degrade
the labile OM, reduce phytotoxicity, release plant nutrients
and reach a new equilibrium in the soil microbial
activity (Bernal et al., 1998b). Therefore, it is important
to know when the new equilibrium in the soil micro-
bial population is reached and when sowing may take
place.
Simple incubation experiments have proved valuable in
understanding the mineralization kinetics of C for
organic materials amended to the soil (Blet-Charaudeau
et al., 1990; Saviozzi et al., 1993; Bernal et al., 1998a, b;
Rogers et al., 2001) and the mineralization during an
incubation period of 3 (Beloso et al., 1993) and 6 weeks
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
F. Pedra et al. / Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39 (2007) 1375–1382
(Duchaufour, 1984; Garcı́a et al., 1992) may be similar to
the mineralization in the field during the cultivation
period. Consequently, the mineralization produced in the
4 weeks of the present incubation experiment is valid as
an approach to the field process (Diaz-Marcote et al.,
1995).
All experimental treatments, on both soils, except for
USS 60 t ha1 (T4), increased or at least kept the OM
constant in the soil, during the incubation.
4.4. Modelling of mineralization dynamics and pool sizes
The use of the kinetic model to describe the C
mineralization process allows us to estimate the potential
C fraction and the mineralization rate, as well as estimating
Cl with the curve-fitting technique. This technique may be
the most accurate because the laboratory incubation most
closely approximates decomposition in the soil, and
mathematical estimation of Cl avoids errors associated
with choosing a length of incubation. However, this
technique must be applied carefully (McLauchlan and
Hobbie, 2004). There are several equations to choose from
that may be biologically relevant (Alvarez and Alvarez,
2000), and sometimes parameters must be constrained to
give accurate results. The curve-fitting technique provides
information about the constant decay of the labile pool in
addition to the pool size of Cl. If information about kl is
desirable, the curve-fitting technique must be used, which
requires relatively long incubation periods (McLauchlan
and Hobbie, 2004).
The k1 results show that the OM of amendments USS
and MSWC had given a similar microbial activity in both
soils at the initial part of the active phase (Table 4). The kl
values were higher than those obtained by Bernal et al.
(1998b) or by Hassen et al. (1998), but closer to those
found by Bernal et al. (1998a). For Bernal et al. (1998b), a
constant lower than 0.033 d1, for the C mineralization
kinetics, points to a mature compost.
However, there is a need for standardization of the
methods in order to measure the CO2 output, as well as for
the equations that determine the respective kinetic para-
meters, in order to allow a comparison of results. As a
matter of fact, the European Committee for Standardiza-
tion created a draft (CEN/TC 223, 2003) describing the
methodology and the way the results should be treated.
However, this draft only indicates conditions for soils with
15% to 25% clay, a pH between 6.0 and 7.3, a
concentration of total calcium (Ca) below 2 g kg1 (dry
matter), and a total organic C ranging from 0.5% to 1%
(dry matter).
These results were consistent with the study of Mtamba-
nengwe et al. (2004), who stated that the decomposition of
fresh OM is governed by its physical accessibility to
microbes, as determined by soil texture and pore size
distribution. Clay particles are believed to protect some of
the more easily decomposable organic compounds from
rapid microbial breakdown through encrustation and
1381
entrapment (Alvarez and Alvarez, 2000; Brye et al., 2004;
Mtambanengwe et al., 2004).
McLauchlan and Hobbie (2004) also found some
relationships between aggregate abundance and the quan-
tity of labile C, suggesting that aggregates are associated
with soil C. However, the aggregates do not necessarily
protect labile C that would otherwise be decomposed by
microbes. Larger aggregates are capable of protecting
larger quantities of organic C, but it is not clear if this C
may be considered labile (McLauchlan and Hobbie, 2004).
5. Conclusions
This study verified that the addition of two amendments,
urban sewage sludge (USS) and municipal solid waste
compost (MSWC) to the PZha and VRcc soils provided an
increase in their mineralization capacities; the highest C
mineralization rate was reached during the first 2 d of
incubation.
The USS amendment produced higher C mineralization
than MSWC, and the PZha soil induced higher organic C
mineralization than the VRcc soil. The higher C miner-
alization of the USS amendment may be related to its
higher organic N content, promoting a more elevated
microbiological activity due to the existence of easily bio-
degradable N compounds. The different behaviour be-
tween the two soils may be related to their different
physical and chemistry characteristics.
These results emphasize the importance of continuing
these studies for a better understanding of the mechanisms
that take place, in order to develop OM management
options for soils with different characteristics.
Except in the case of USS at 60 t ha1, all the other
experimental treatments with the amendments, in both
soils, increased, or at least kept constant, amounts of OM
in the soils during the incubation period. If that does not
happen, the amendment maturation must be optimized or
added at smaller rates (e.g., at less than USS 60 t ha1) to
the soils.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Silvio Fonte for his collabora-
tion with the analytical work. We also wish to thank the
PhD student Diaz-Marcote for allowing us to mention his
experimental findings.
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