Decomposition+Journal

DECOMPOSITION JOURNAL


 * DATE:** 18th July 2012
 * DAY:** Zero

On day zero, none of the material in the column has started to decompose any more than it was when we set the column up. We did notice that the column already smells.
 * TODAY WE:** Set up our decomposition column using two1.5L coke bottles. (See the picture). Inside the decomposition column we put layers of soil, and food scraps, rubbish, plastic gloves and mandarin skins.
 * OBSERVATIONS:**

* The corn cob will not decompose * The food scraps will be the first to decompose * The gloves and plastic will take the longest to decompose * The smell will get worse * The food scraps we see will go fuzzy * We might see condensation on the inside of the plastic * As things decompose the column could have more room in it
 * PREDICTIONS:**


 * DATE: **20th July 2012
 * DAY: **Two

* The level in the column has gone down * We can see water droplets, (condensation) on the inside of the bottle * There is some mold growing just above the middle join * * Smells like coke * No mold on the mandarin peel
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OBSERVATIONS: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* there must be some heat inside the column
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OTHER COMMENTS: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* next time, check whether smell has gotten worse <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* there is some air entering from somewhere

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**DATE:** 25th July 2012
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DAY: **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Seven

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* The column has compacted so there is now about a 3cm gap from the plastic gloves at the top, to the first layer of soil <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* There is mold growing on every layer of food scraps, especially on the apple skins and the mandarin peels (see close up photos) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* The gloves and plastic rubbish have not started decomposing at all <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* The mold is quite fuzzy, and has a white/green colour. This is what we predicted at the start (fuzzy). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* The whole brussel sprout has not started decomposing at all <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* There is still some condensation on the inside of the plastic, although not as much as before <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* The smell is getting worse
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OBSERVATIONS: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* It is getting harder to see some of the layers because as the column compresses, the soil is falling down into the layers of food scraps
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">THINGS TO NOTE: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">



**OBSERVATIONS:**
 * DATE:** 3rd August **DAY:** Sixteen
 * The mandarin peels have gone fully moldy, there is no orange colour that we can see, it's completely covered in white fuzz
 * The brussel sprout has not started molding yet but it has gone a funny colour of green and looks like it would be kind of squishy to touch.
 * The gap at the top is about 5cm at the moment
 * The smell is getting worse
 * The gloves are stuck to the top of the column
 * The gloves and all the plastic rubbish look exactly the same as when we started - no mold