Vermicomposting: A technology for vermiremediation of heavy metals from sewage sludge and animal dung
Authors
Abstract
Purpose: The present study to investigate the earthworm Eisenia fetida was a chief organism for accumulation of heavy metals (Pb, Cr, and Cd) in their body tissue from sewage sludge with different combinations of animal dung and converted into rich organic vermicompost which plays a beneficial role for environment, animals and human health.
Method: Animal dung and sewage sludge were collected from Gorakhpur city and earthworm E. fetida an epigeic species collected from Vermibiotechnology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, D. D. U. Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur. Analysis of heavy metals in different animal dung, sewage sludge, final vermicompost, and earthworm bodies were measured by Shimadzu AA-7000 atomic absorption spectrometer.
Results: There was a significant (P<0.05) reduction of Pb, Cr, and Cd concentration observed in different animal dung such as cow, buffalo and goat dung with sewage sludge in ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 before and after vermicomposting. Cr was significantly decreased in cow dung (CD) and goat dung (GD) and Cd in cow dung (CD) and cow dung with sewage sludge (CD+SS, 1:1) the at BDL level whereas the concentration of Pb significantly decreased by 76.470% in the combination of GD+SS (1:1). The Cr and Cd were significantly increased in the body of E. fetida 3.384% and 11.801%, respectively, in the combination of CD+SS (1:3) whereas Pb significantly increase by 23.018% in the combination of BD+SS (1:3).
Conclusion: E. fetida is a suitable species for the accumulation of heavy metals such as Pb, Cr, and Cd in different vermibeds during vermicomposting and plays an important role in the remediation of heavy metals from animal dung with sewage sludge. Vermibiotechnology is a useful technique for the management of heavy metals.
Keywords
References
Ahmed M, Qadeer U, Ahmed ZI, Fayyaz-ul H (2016) Improvement of wheat (Triticum aestivum) drought tolerance by seed priming with silicon. Archi Agron Soil Sci 62(3): 299-315. https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2015.1048235
Bhartiya DK, Singh K (2011) Accumulation of heavy metals by Eisenia fetida from different animal dung and kitchen wastes during vermicomposting. Int J Life Sci Technol 4(7): 47-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2015.1048235
Bhartiya DK, Singh K (2012a) Heavy Metals accumulation from municipal solid wastes with different animal dung through vermicomposting by earthworm Eisenia fetida. World Appl Sci J 17(1): 133-139.
Bhartiya DK, Singh K (2012b) Heavy metals remediation from maize (Zea mays) crop by the use of vermicomposts through vermicomposting by Eisenia fetida. American-Eurasian J Agric Environ Sci 12 (9):1215-1222. https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2012.12.09.1678
Cleveland LM, Minter ML, Cobb KA, Scott AA, German VF (2008) Lead hazards for pregnant women and children. Am J Nurs 108:40-49. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000337736.76730.66
Conder JM, Seals LD, Lanno RP (2002) Method for determining toxicologically relevant cadmium residues in the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Chemosphere 49:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0045-6535(02)00192-3
Devliegher W, Verstraete W (1996) Lumbricus terrestris in a soil core experiment: Effect of nutrient- enrichment processes (NEP) and gut associated processes (GAP) on the availibility of plant nutrients and heavy metals. Soil Biol Biochem 28:489-496. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-0717(95)00190-5
Dume B, Hanc A, Svehla P, Michal P, Chane AD (2022) Vermicomposting technology as a process able to reduce the content of potentially toxic elements in sewage sludge. Agronomy 12(9):1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092049
Garg P, Gupta A, Satya S (2006) Vermicomposting of different types of waste using: A comparative study. Bioresur Technol 97: 391-395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2005.03.009
Gupta PK (2005) Vermicomposting for sustainable agriculture. Bharat Printing Press, Jodhpur, pp: 11-14.
Iwai CB, Ta-Oun, M, Chuasavatee T, Boonyotha P (2013) Management of municipal sewage sludge by vermicomposting technology: Converting a waste into a bio fertilizer for agriculture. Int J Environ Rural Dev 4:169–174.
Järup L (2003) Hazards of heavy metal contamination. Br Med Bull 68(1):167–182. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldg032
Jatav HS, Singh SK, Jatav SS, Latare AM, Kumar V, Singh P (2021) Sewage sludge quality assessment of sewage treatment plant, Bhagwanpur, Varanasi and its safe utilization in agriculture. J Environ Biol 42:512-517. https://doi.org/10.22438/jeb/42/2(SI)/SI-271
Jordao CP, Nascentes CC, Cecon PR, Fontes RLF, Pereira JL (2006) Heavy metal availability in Soil amended with composted urban solid wastes. Environ Monit Asses 112:309-326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-1072-y
Katz SA, Jenneis SW (1983) Regulatory compliance monitory by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Verlay Chemical Int, Fl.
Kaviraj, Sharma S (2003) Municipal solid wastes management through vermicomposting employing exotic and local species of earthworm. Bioresur Technol 90:169-173. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-8524(03)00123-8
Khwairakpam M, Bhargava R (2009) Vermitechnology for sewage sludge recycling. J Hazard Mater 161:948–954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.v04.088
Kowald GR, Stürzenbaum SR, Blindauer CA (2016) Earthworm Lumbricus rubellus MT-2: metal binding and protein folding of a true Cadmium-MT gregory. Int J Mol Sci 17(1): 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms17010065
Lanno RP, Oorts K, Smolders E, Albanese K, Chowdhury MJ (2019) Effects of soil properties on the toxicity and bioaccumulation of lead in soil invertebrates. Environ Toxicol Chem 38:1486-1494.
Lee WK, Abouhamed M, Thevenod F (2006) Caspase-dependent and -independent pathways for cadmium-induced apoptosis in cultured kidney proximal tubule cells. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 291(4):823-832. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.00276.2005
Li X, Xing M, Yang J, Huang Z (2011) Compositional and functional features of humic acid-like fractions from vermicomposting of sewage sludge and cow dung. J Hazard Mater 185:740-748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.09.081
Maboeta MS, Rensburg LV (2003) Vermicomposting of industrially produced wood chips and sewage sludge utilizing E. foetida. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 56:265-270. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-6513(02)00101-X
Najah Z, Elsherif KM, Alshtewi M, Attorshi H (2015) Phytochemical profile and heavy metals contents of Codium tomentosum and Sargassum hornschuchi. J Appli Chem 4 (6): 1821-1827.
Nath G, Singh K, Singh DK (2009) Chemical analysis of vermicomposts/vermiwash of different combinations of animal, agro and kitchen wastes. Aust J Bas Appl Sci 3 (4):3671-3676.
Nath G, Singh K (2016) Vermiwash: A potent liquid biofertilizer. Res J Sci Technol 8 (1):21-30. https://doi.org/10.5958/2349-2988.2016.00003.6
Nirola R, Megharaj M, Saint C, Aryal R, Thavamani P, Venkateswarlu K, Naidu R, Beecham S (2016) Metal bioavailability to Eisenia fetida through copper mine dwelling animal and plant litter, a new challenge on contaminated environment remediation. Int Biodeter Biodegrad 113:208-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2016.03.007
Panday R, Basnet BB, Bhatt PS, Tamrakar AS (2014) Bioconcentration of heavy metals in vermicomposting earthworms (Eisenia fetida, Perionyx excavatus and Lampito mauritii) in Nepal. J Microbiol Biotechnol Food Sci 3:416-418.
Parseh I, Mousavi K, Badieenejad A, Mehdi M, Mofrad G, Hashemi M, Azadbakht O, Karimi H (2021) Microbial and composition changes during vermicomposting process resulting from decomposable domestic waste, cow manure and dewatered sludge. Int J Env Health Eng 10:3. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijehe.ijehe_56_20
Prajapati UB, Singh S (2013) Analysis of sewage in peri-urban region of gorakhpur-U.P., India. J Water Res Photon 135:257-261.
Purdea L, Rusănescu CO, Tucureanu MC (2019) Alternative for the use of sewage sludge in Romania. Rev Chim 70:1967–1970. https://doi.org/10.37358/RC.19.6.7255
Rorat A, Suleiman H, Grobelak A, Grosser A Kacprzak M, Płytycz B, Vandenbulcke F (2016) Interactions between sewage sludge-amended soil and earthworms-comparison between Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei composting species. Env Sci Pollut Res 23:3026-3035. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5635-8. Epub 2015 Oct 30
Rusănescu CO, Rusănescu M, Voicu G, Paraschiv G, Biris SS, Popescu IN (2022) The recovery of vermicompost sewage sludge in Agriculture. Agronomy 12(2653):1-12. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112653
Shahmansouri MR, Pourmoghadas H, Parvaresh AR, Alidadi H (2005) Heavy metals bioaccumulation by Indian and Australian earthworm (Eisenia fetida) in the sewage sludge vermicomposting. Iranian J Env Health Sci Eng 2(1):28-33.
Singh K, Bhartiya DK, Chauhan HK, Rai R, Singh RN (2014) bioaccumulation of cobalt and lead by earthworm eisenia fetida from sewage sludge with different cattle dung during vermicomposting. Res J Sci Technol 6(4):175-179.
Singh K, Bhartiya DK (2020a) Heavy metal accumulation by earthworm Eisenia fetida from animal waste, soil and wheat (Triticum aestivum) for protection of human health. Res J Pharm Technol 13 (7):3205-3210. https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-360X.2020.00567.3
Singh K, Bhartiya DK (2020b) Minimization of health problems through vermibiotechnology and accumulation of heavy metal from biological waste, soil and rice (Oryza sativa L.). Res J Pharm Technol 13 (8):3580-3586. https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-360X.2020.00633.2
Singh K, Bhartiya DK (2021) A review article on vermibiotechnology and waste management. World Rev Sci Technol Sust Dev 17 (1): 81-97. https://doi.org/10.1504/WRSTSD.2021.113976
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1973) Introduction to biostatistics. W.H. Freeman Company p 363.
Spurgeon DJ, Hopkin SP (1999) Comparisons of metal accumulation and excretion kinetics in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) exposed to contaminated field and laboratory soils. Appl Soil Ecol 11:227-243. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0929-1393(98)00150-4
Srut M, Menke S, Hockner M, Sommer S (2019) Earthworms and cadmium- heavy metal resistant gut bacteria as indicators for heavy metal pollution in soils. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 171:843-853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.12.102
Suleiman MS, Wasonga VO, Mbau JS, Suleiman A, Elhadi YA (2017) Non-timber forest products and their contribution to households' income around Falgore Game Reserve in Kano, Nigeria. Ecol Process 6 (23):1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-017-0090-8
Suthar S (2006) Potential utilization of guargum industrial waste in vermicompost production. Bioresur Technol 97:2474-2477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2005.10.018
Wang K, Qiao Y, Zhang H, Yue S, Li H, Ji X, Liu L (2018) Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in earthworms from field contaminated soil in a subtropical area of China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 148:876-883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.11.058
WHO (1985) GEMS: Global Environmental Monitoring System, Guidelines for the Study of Dietary Intakes of Chemical Contaminants. WHO Offset Publication; Geneva, Switzerland 1985 p 87.
WHO (1993) Evaluation of Certain Food Additives and Contaminants: Forty-First Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. WHO Technical Report Series; Geneva, Switzerland p 837.
Yadav A, Garg VK (2011) Industrial waste and sludge management by vermicomposting. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 10(3):243-276. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-011-9242-y
Yadav KD, Tare V, Ahammed MM (2012) Integrated composting–vermicomposting process for stabilization of human faecal slurry. Ecol Eng 47:24-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2012.06.039
