INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5, MAY 2013 ISSN 2277-8616 199 IJSTR©2013 www.ijstr.org Further Curing Of Lebanese Compost: Improving Quality And Stability Ahmad Najib Kobaissi, Karim Souhail Al-Souki, Hussein Jaafar Kanbar, Ali Ahmad Kanso Abstract: Assessment of compost quality from municipal solid waste (MSW) in a country like Lebanon, where national standards and quality assurances are still primitive, is an arduous task. Based on this fact, the present study was undertaken to determine the quality and stability of the compost produced in Ain Baal compost plant, in south Lebanon. Screened Samples were taken and divided into two categories. The first category was left without any interference as taken from the source (termed non-cured), whereas the second was further cured (termed cured). Analysis of both, the cured and non-cured samples showed a great variation based on the chemical and physical properties, metal content and stability tests. The control and enhancement of the curing period, aeration and moistening of the starting feedstock greatly improved the quality of the resulted compost. pH value, moisture content, C/N ratio and mineral nitrogen ammonia fitted the acceptable range after treatment. This fact reveals that with proper care and organization of the entire composting process, it is possible to improve the quality of the final product, and thus use it as agricultural supplements as a final objective. This report aims to demonstrate the current status of produced compost from Ain-Baal facility as well as to highlight on the possible enhancement of its quality. Keywords: Chemical analysis, composting, cured sample, metal content, non-cured sample, physical analysis, stability tests. ———————————————————— 1 INTRODUCTION MSWis the waste that is mainly produced by the household (trash and garbage), in addition to several industrial and commercial wastes similar in nature to the household ones, such as food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint and batteries, but not medical, commercial and industrial hazardous or radioactive wastes, which are treated separately (Farrell and Jones, 2009). Meanwhile, inappropriate disposal of MSW is being considered as one of the main challenges facing the world, due to the negative impacts they have on different compartments of the surrounding environment (Taiwo, 2011). Depending on the fact that states that the highest portion of MSW is the biodegradable organic matter (Taiwo, 2011), the most preferable waste management technique for MSW is composting, which is done after sorting the recyclable and inert materials from the incoming feedstock. Composting, which is a form of recycling and a part of the integrated waste management, is defined as the biological degradation of organic matter or carbon-containing compounds by bacterial and fungal population, to form stable humus-like end products under controlled conditions (EPA, 1994). As a result of the controlled conditions, the composting procedure is performed to having its efficiency optimized, with mitigating any potential environmental deterioration, and thus the quality and the stability of the final product is enhanced. The conditions to be controlled throughout composting are temperature, oxygen ratio, moisture content, pH value, particle size distribution and nutrient level and balance (C/N ratio), all depending on the type of the raw materials being composted (Shyamala and Belagali, 2012). Mature and stabilized ————————————————  A.N. Kobaissi is currently an associate professor at the Lebanese University, Faculty of Sciences and Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Rafic Hariri Campus, Hadath, Lebanon, Tel: +961 3 612 566. E-mail: ahkobeissi@ul.edu.lb  K.S. Al-Souki is a master graduate in Phytoecology, Resources and Application, Lebanese University, Faculty of Sciences, Rafic Hariri Campus, Hadath, Lebanon. E-mail: karim.souki@hotmail.com  H.J. Kanbar is a master graduate in Hydrosciences, Lebanese University, Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Rafic Hariri Campus, Hadath, Lebanon. E-mail: Kanbar@scientist.com  A.A. Kanso is currently pursuing mastersdegree in Hydrosciences, Lebanese University, Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Rafic Hariri Campus, Hadath, Lebanon. E-mail: alikanso@live.com