Vermicomposting of Sewage Sludge: Earthworm Population and Agronomic Advantages

Ludibeth, Solis-Mejia; Islas-Espinoza, Marina; Vicenta, Esteller Ma.

doi:10.1080/1065657x.2012.10737016

Cited by 37 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 32 publications

(56 reference statements)

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“…Hence, it is suggested that empty fruit bunches amended with appropriate ratio of cow dung affected the telluric microflora, leading to enhanced decomposition process (Suthar 2008). The result obtained is concurrent with the earlier studies done by Ludibeth et al (2012) and Shak et al (2014) that vermicomposting could reduce the C/N ratio of sewage sludge and rice straw, respectively, to a preferred level of below 20.…”

Section: Electrical Conductivity Of the Vermicompostsupporting

confidence: 79%

A potential bioconversion of empty fruit bunches into organic fertilizer using Eudrilus eugeniae

Lim

Clarke

et al. 2014

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Vermicomposting is a process to biotransform organic solid wastes into valuable product, namely vermicompost using epigeic earthworms. Vermicomposting technology may provide a low-input basis for sustainable management of organic solid waste. The present study was to investigate the suitability of oil palm empty fruit bunches to be reused as feedstocks of Eudrilus eugeniae for the duration of 12 weeks. Empty fruit bunches were mixed with cow dung in different ratios to produce five different treatments for laboratory screening of solid waste. The growths of E. eugeniae were monitored weekly. All treatments encouraged the growth of E. eugeniae except the treatment with empty fruit bunches alone. The maturity and quality of vermicompost were assessed through carbon-tonitrogen ratio, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Generally, all treatments showed increases in total contents of calcium (39.38-373.17 %), phosphorus (15.15-390.54 %), potassium (45.55-153.66 %) and magnesium (55.86-370.93 %) but a decrease in carbon-tonitrogen ratio (11.24-76.24 %) after 12 weeks of vermicomposting process. Besides, parameters such as pH and electrical conductivity were also investigated in this paper.Among all the treatments investigated, empty fruit bunches that were mixed with cow dung in the ratio of 2:1 were biotransformed into the most superior quality vermicompost (carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, 18.53; calcium, 7.76 g/kg; phosphorus, 3.63 g/kg; potassium, 12.81 g/kg; and magnesium, 4.05 g/kg). In conclusion, vermicomposting could be used as an efficient technology to convert empty fruit bunches into nutrient-rich organic fertilizers if the wastes were mixed with cow dung in an appropriate ratio.

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Section: Electrical Conductivity Of the Vermicompostsupporting

confidence: 79%

A potential bioconversion of empty fruit bunches into organic fertilizer using Eudrilus eugeniae

Lim

Clarke

et al. 2014

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Different letters listed beside the data represent significant differences (P , 0.05) using Duncan's test and one-way ANOVA. (Ludibeth et al 2012), total emission of CO 2 in China in 2010 is 7.2 billion Mg (National Bureau of Statistics of China, Beijing, China). (Ludibeth et al 2012), total emission of CO 2 in China in 2010 is 7.2 billion Mg (National Bureau of Statistics of China, Beijing, China).…”

Section: Implications For Phosphorous Management In Paddy Agroecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Total soil C sequestration under P input was quantified to be 569-1719 mol/ha, with the assumption that the average depth and density of arable soil in paddy fields are 25 cm and 2.5 g/cm 3 , respectively (Table 7). Similarly, total amounts of soil C sequestration on a nationwide scale would be 16.2-48.8 billion Mg, provided that the total area of paddy fields in China (28.4 million ha; Ludibeth et al 2012) are receiving P at Notes: Data are expressed as means with SD in parentheses. Different letters listed beside the data represent significant differences (P , 0.05) using Duncan's test and one-way ANOVA.…”

Section: Implications For Phosphorous Management In Paddy Agroecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Treatments are as in Table 1. Notes: Total area of paddy fields in China is approximately 28.4 million ha (Ludibeth et al 2012), total emission of CO 2 in China in 2010 is 7.2 billion Mg (National Bureau of Statistics of China, Beijing, China). Arable soils were assumed to have average depth of 25 cm and density of 2.5 g/cm 3 .…”

Section: Implications For Phosphorous Management In Paddy Agroecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Do microorganism stoichiometric alterations affect carbon sequestration in paddy soil subjected to phosphorus input?

Zhang

et al. 2015

Ecological Applications

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Ecological stoichiometry provides a powerful tool for integrating microbial biomass stoichiometry with ecosystem processes, opening far-reaching possibilities for linking microbial dynamics to soil carbon (C) metabolism in response to agricultural nutrient management. Despite its importance to crop yield, the role of phosphorus (P) with respect to ecological stoichiometry and soil C sequestration in paddy fields remains poorly understood, which limits our ability to predict nutrient-related soil C cycling. Here, we collected soil samples from a paddy field experiment after seven years of superphosphate application along a gradient of 0, 30, 60, and 90 (P-0 through P-90, respectively) kg.ha-1.yr-1 in order to evaluate the role of exogenous P on soil C sequestration through regulating microbial stoichiometry. P fertilization increased soil total organic C and labile organic C by 1-14% and 4-96%, respectively, while rice yield is a function of the activities of soil β-1,4-glucosidase (BG), acid phosphatase (AP), and the level of available soil P through a stepwise linear regression model. P input induced C limitation, as reflected by decreases in the ratios of C:P in soil and microbial biomass. An eco-enzymatic ratio indicating microbial investment in C vs. P acquisition, i.e., ln(BG): ln(AP), changed the ecological function of microbial C acquisition, and was stoichiometrically related to P input. This mechanism drove a shift in soil resource availability by increasing bacterial community richness and diversity, and stimulated soil C sequestration in the paddy field by enhancing C-degradation-related bacteria for the breakdown of plant-derived carbon sources. Therefore, the decline in the C:P stoichiometric ratio of soil microorganism biomass under P input was beneficial for soil C sequestration, which offered a "win-win" relationship for the maximum balance point between C sequestration and P availability for rice production in the face of climate change.

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“…Those problems could be offset by additional processing step of vermicomposting that would lead to the production of stable fertilizer that can be easily transported, stored and dosed [Munroe 2007]. A small-scale processing plant would complement the industrial wastewater treatment operations and, in theory, could offset the running costs by producing a valuable fertilizer instead of problematic byproducts [Vigueros and Ramírez Camperos 2002;Ludibeth et al 2012].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Biochar Addition on Vermicomposting of Food Industry Sewage Sludge

Świątek¹,

Spitzer²,

Grobelak³

et al. 2019

J. Ecol. Eng.

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Sewage sludge (SS) is a byproduct of wastewater treatment which is commonly used as fertilizer in the world. However, due to the possible contamination with heavy metals, xenobiotics and fecal pathogens, its application on fields is not so common in Poland. A safer alternative for agricultural use is the SS produced by food industry in small "inhouse" wastewater treatment plants, as substances that are used in its production are usually less harmful. As pretreatment of industrial wastewater is required before dumping the wastewater into common stream, the SS is an abundant byproduct that needs to be managed in an environmentally friendly and cost effective manner. Because the water content in SS is usually high, the dosage and logistics are problematic and thus we propose converting the sewage sludge into solid granular fertilizer in the vermicomposting process. Not only are the weight and volume of product decreased as a result, but also the nutrients such as N, P, and K become concentrated and made more accessible for plants. The SS is also further stabilized and less prone to produce odors and becoming putrid. The aim of this study was the in-depth analysis of the SS process vermicomposting with biochar. The SS was acquired from a local soft drink factory wastewater treatment plant. The batches of SS were inoculated with 20% mature vermicompost and E. fetida worms. Instead of typical bulking agents (like woodchips or straw) powdered biochar was used in the concentrations of 5, 10 and 15% as it exhibits beneficial influence on the process and increase the value of the final product.

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Vermicomposting of Sewage Sludge: Earthworm Population and Agronomic Advantages

Cited by 37 publications

References 32 publications

A potential bioconversion of empty fruit bunches into organic fertilizer using Eudrilus eugeniae

A potential bioconversion of empty fruit bunches into organic fertilizer using Eudrilus eugeniae

Do microorganism stoichiometric alterations affect carbon sequestration in paddy soil subjected to phosphorus input?

Effects of Biochar Addition on Vermicomposting of Food Industry Sewage Sludge

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