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The attachment strength of bacteria to surfaces can affect the efficacy of sanitizers during washing. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of chlorination and aeration in the removal of pathogens from the surface of produce. Cucumbers and bell peppers were inoculated with Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli O157:H7, or Salmonella enterica; afterwards, the produce was washed with or without chlorinated water (100 ppm) for 3 min in combination with or without aeration. Cucumbers washed with chlorinated water, with or without aeration, presented significant reductions of L. innocua (3.65 log CFU/cm2 and 1.13 log CFU/cm2, respectively) (p < 0.05). Similarly, bell peppers washed in chlorinated water with aeration (1.91 log CFU/g) and without aeration (2.49 log CFU/g) presented significant reductions of L. innocua. A significant reduction of L. innocua was observed on bell peppers washed with non-chlorinated water with aeration (2.49 log CFU/g) (p < 0.05). Non-chlorinated water was also effective in significantly reducing the level of Salmonella enterica (p < 0.05) on cucumbers and bell peppers. Washing with chlorinated water with aeration reduced Salmonella enterica levels from 4.45 log CFU/cm2 on cucumbers to below the detectable limit (0.16 log CFU/cm2). The highest reduction of Salmonella enterica from bell peppers occurred after washing with chlorinated water with aeration (2.48 log CFU/g). E. coli O157:H7, L. innocua, and Salmonella enterica levels present in non-chlorinated water after washing contaminated produce with or without aeration were significantly greater than those in chlorinated water (p < 0.05). After treatment, the population levels of all pathogens in chlorinated water with or without aeration were below the detectable limit for bell peppers (

On-farm composting of agro-livestock wastes can be considered the most appropriate method for their recycling. Pile turning (PW) is one of the most widely used aeration systems for composting. However, this system has long composting periods and is inefficient at supplying oxygen and controlling the temperature. To minimize these drawbacks, the combination of turnings with forced aeration (PR) is an option; in this work, this combination was compared to PW as an aeration system for the co-composting of vegetable waste with different manures. In this comparative study, the evolution of the process, the compost quality and the economic and environmental impacts of the process were evaluated. The PR system was more appropriate for obtaining sanitized composts (the temperature was ≥55 °C for at least three consecutive days) with an adequate degree of maturity. Furthermore, this system reduced the organic matter and nutrient losses, yielding composts with higher agronomic value and a higher total combined value of the nutrients than those obtained using the PW system. However, the energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions were lower for the PW system, since this aeration system was based only on turnings without the use of forced aeration, as in the case of the PR system. Agricultural valorization of composts will offset this energy consumption and its impact, since it will contribute to reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers. However, more studies are required on the PR composting system and other agro-livestock wastes for the creation of centralized on-farm composting sites, where all steps of the composting chain are optimized.