1. Nonlegume vegetable wastes have a moisture content of 80% and are 4% N of a dry mass basis.

The vegetable
wastes are to be composted with readily available sawdust. The sawdust has a moisture content of 50% and is
0.1% N on a dry mass basis. The desired C: N for the mixture is 20. The C:N ratio for vegetable wastes is 11 and
the C:N ratio for sawdust is 500. Determine the weight of sawdust required per kilogram of vegetable waste
that results in an initial C:N ratio of 20.

Given:
Nitrogen C: N Ratio
Material % Moisture Content
(% dry mass) (dry mass basis)
Nonlegume
80 4.0 11
vegetable wastes
Sawdust 50 0.1 500

Required: weight of sawdust required for C: N ratio of 20

Solution:
Basis: 1-kilogram nonlegume vegetable wastes

Let x be the weight of sawdust:

dry mass N from NVW = 1 kg NVW × (1 − 0.80) × 0.04 = 0.008 kg

dry mass C from NVW = 0.008 kg N × 11 = 0.088 kg

dry mass N from SD = x × (1 − 0.50) × 0.001 = 0.0005x

dry mass C from SD = 0.0005x × 500 = 0.25x

C mass C from NVW + mass C from SD

=
N mass N from NVW + mass N from SD

0.088 + 0.25x
20 =
0.008 + 0.0005x

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