Microbial Characterization of Compacted vs. Non-Compacted Simulated Orion Crew Vehicle Food Trash Compartment Waste

The effects of volume-reduction via compaction (VR-C) on microbial loads and microbially-produced noxious odors during post-treatment storage were investigated. The Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) / Orion simulated food trash compartment wastes (FTCW) consisted of 80% food trash with packaging and 20% wipes. Compaction was compared with a non-compacted control and will provide a baseline for comparison with other treatment technologies. The first study was a timecourse with post-treatment storage durations of 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Key response variables were: O₂ consumption and CO₂ production from waste biodegradation and microbiological assays consisting of total counts and culturable counts of (a) aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, (b) aerobic and anaerobic spore-forming bacteria, (c) specific bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, and Staphylococcus aureus counts, and (d) molds at run termination. A second study with replication (n=3) and 2 weeks post-treatment storage was conducted. Microbiological parameters and VOC analysis by EPA TO15r compendium method were measured.