Title: Nutrient recycling from different solid organic wastes employing an epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida

Authors: Renuka Gupta, V.K. Garg

Addresses: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar 125001, Haryana, India. ' Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar 125001, Haryana, India

Abstract: This paper reports the nutrient recycling during vermistabilisation of different organic wastes, namely sewage sludge, textile mill sludge, sugar mill sludge and aquatic weed. The NPK content of the vermicompost was significantly higher than that of raw wastes. Biodegradability coefficient (Kb) was highest in aquatic weed (0.91 ± 0.004) followed by sewage sludge (0.71 ± 0.025), textile mill sludge (0.64 ± 0.003) and sugar mill sludge (0.48 ± 0.041). Results showed that worms grew 2.5 times more rapidly in aquatic weed waste, 2.2 times in textile mill sludge and 1.5 times in sewage sludge than in sugar mill sludge.

Keywords: nutrient recycling; vermicomposting; organic waste; biodegradability coefficient; carbon nitrogen ratio; worms; earthworms; biomass; solid waste management; sewage sludge; textile mill sludge; sugar mill sludge; aquatic weed.

DOI: 10.1504/WRSTSD.2010.032527

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 2010 Vol.7 No.3, pp.239 - 258

Published online: 05 Apr 2010 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article