Title: Microbial characterisation of vermicompost and compost of urban waste processed by three earthworm species - Eudrilus eugeniae, Eisenia fetida and Perionyx excavatus

Authors: Swati Pattnaik; M. Vikram Reddy

Addresses: Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India. ' Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India

Abstract: Species diversity of bacteria, fungi and actinomyctes of vermicompost and compost of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, vegetable market waste and flower waste were assessed using pour plate technique. Of the total 91 entities, 62 were bacteria and 29 were actinomycetes in MW, followed by that of MSW and FW, with 59 and 55 bacterial; 25 and 22 actinomycetes entities, respectively. The biodiversity of bacteria and actinomycetes were significantly higher in the vermicomposts produced by Eudrilus eugeniae followed by that of Eisenia fetida and Perionyx excavates and that of composts (p < 0.05). The bacterial count was found to be significantly higher in the substrates compared to the fugal count (p < 0.05). Actinomycetes not found at the beginning appeared at the end of vermicomposting and composting. Actinomycetes count was significantly more than that of fungal and of bacterial count at end of processing (p < 0.05).

Keywords: actinomycetes; bacteria; fungi; MSW; municipal solid waste; vegetable waste; flower waste; microbial characterisation; vermicomposting composting; urban waste; earthworms; worms; Eudrilus eugeniae; Eisenia fetida; Perionyx excavatus; solid waste management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2012.049240

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2012 Vol.15 No.3/4/5/6, pp.465 - 500

Published online: 17 Dec 2014 *

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