Composting of waste paint sludge (WPS) containing melamine
resin was demonstrated to be an effective method for producing
stable end-products which can be beneficial for agriculture. Waste
paper was more suitable than plant residue for composting of WPS
containing melamine resin. The waste paper-related treatment had
relatively higher levels of composting temperature, CO2 production
rates, dry weight loss and melamine resin degradation in composting
process. The extent of degradation of melamine resin after
84 days was 54–85%. Overall, WPS-compost increased biomass of
cucumber, radish and lettuce compared to untreated control. In
general, the concentrations of trace elements in harvested plant
biomass and in soil water, did not rise to a levelthat would preclude
WPS-compost from being used as a soil amendment. The composts
produced from WPS can be beneficially applied to soils to enhance
crop growth.