Purpose: Green waste (GW) composting is of increasing importance to the waste management industry in addition being a useful agricultural product that is rich in nutrient and organic matter (OM). The combination of aerated static windrow with GORE(^R) cover membrane and an air-floor aeration system is a relatively new industrial-scale composting technology that has not been previously explored. Therefore, the aim of this research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of composting GW using this new technology.Methods: The composting process was monitored through changes in the physico-chemical properties,E_4/6, and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra.Results: Disinfection requirements were met by holding composting temperature steady in the thermophilic range for 24 days. The technology greatly improved composting conditions, and final compost product in terms of temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC),C/Nratio, OM degradation, nitrogen transformation, humification, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The FTIR spectra revealed that there was enrichment of aromatic compounds and reduction in aliphatic structures and easily assimilated peptide components by microorganisms, indicating the humification degree increased, the final compost stabilized, and confirming the efficiency of composting. Consequently, the new technology produced a mature compost in only 30 days compared with the standard period of 90–270 days for traditional composting.Conclusion: Notably, the new technology may be a sustainable alternative for GW management that converts waste into compost and could be beneficial for agricultural uses.

The accumulation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in plants is considered one of the most serious threats faced by mankind because of their persistence in the environment and their carcinogenic and teratogenic effect on human health. The concentrations of sixteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (16 PAHs) were determined in four types of edible vegetables (tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants, and cucumbers), irrigation water, and agriculture soil, where samples were collected from the Jordan Valley, Jordan. The mean total concentration of 16 PAHs (∑16PAHs) ranged from 10.649 to 21.774 µg kg⁻¹ in vegetables, 28.72 µg kg⁻¹ in soil, and 0.218 µg L⁻¹ in the water samples. The tomato samples posed the highest ∑16PAH concentration level in the vegetables, whereas the zucchini samples had the lowest. Generally, the PAHs with a high molecular weight and four or more benzene rings prevailed among the studied samples. The diagnostic ratios and the principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the PAH contamination sources in soil and vegetables mainly originated from a pyrogenic origin, traffic emission sources, and biomass combustion. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) for ∑16PAHs have been observed in the order of tomatoes > cucumbers and eggplants > zucchini. A potential cancer risk related to lifetime consumption was revealed based on calculating the incremental lifetime cancer risk of PAHs (ILCR). Therefore, sustainable agricultural practices and avoiding biomass combusting would greatly help in minimizing the potential health risk from dietary exposure to PAHs.