environment for the growth of the diverse microbial community to degrade organic
contaminants (Bezbaruah and Zhang 2005). Further, researchers have found that
macrophyte transfers oxygen from the atmosphere to the rhizosphere which is
further consumed by the microbial community (Bezbaruah and Zhang 2005; Brix
1994). Increased oxygen is responsible for maintaining aerobic condition for the
microbes as well as for earthworms which is useful to accelerate the degradation of
organic contaminants.
1.3 Performance Evaluation of Vermifiltration System
1.3.1 Applicability of Vermifiltration for Sewage Treatment
It has been reported that the vermifiltration technique is an efficient and eco-friendly
process to treat wastewater originating from households (Kumar et al. 2016; Li et al.
2009). Vermifiltration technique has been applied to domestic wastewater treatment
and has shown a significant reduction of COD and NH 3
+
-N (Sinha et al. 2008; Wang
et al. 2010a; Xing et al. 2011). Applicability of vermifiltration technique with
associated process parameters for wastewater treatment is summarized in
Table 1.1. Earthworms consume retained suspended particles in the filter during
ingestion and significantly reduce BOD by more than 90% and COD in the range of
80–90% and a significant reduction in nutrients concentration (Li et al. 2009; Wang
et al. 2011). According to Kumar et al. (2016), application of vermifiltration
employing earthworm species Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae to treat wastewater generated from domestic activities has shown the reduction of about 88% and
70% BOD, 78% and 67% TSS and 75% and 66% TDS, respectively, whereas a
laboratory-scale study has revealed the removal of contaminants like BOD 5 , COD
and TSS from domestic wastewater in the range of 55–66%, 47–65% and 57–78%,
respectively (Xing et al. 2010). The earthworm species Eisenia fetida is one of the
most common species employed to treat domestic wastewater (Gunadi et al. 2002;
Hughes et al. 2009; Sinha et al. 2008). In another study on domestic wastewater
treatment, employing Eisenia fetida as an earthworm species has shown removal of
Worm active zone
Sand + Gravel
Effluent
Influent
Macrophyte
Fig. 1.4 Schematic of a macrophyte-assisted vermifiltration system
1 Applicability of Vermifiltration for Wastewater Treatment and Recycling
7
contaminants (Bezbaruah and Zhang 2005). Further, researchers have found that
macrophyte transfers oxygen from the atmosphere to the rhizosphere which is
further consumed by the microbial community (Bezbaruah and Zhang 2005; Brix
1994). Increased oxygen is responsible for maintaining aerobic condition for the
microbes as well as for earthworms which is useful to accelerate the degradation of
organic contaminants.
1.3 Performance Evaluation of Vermifiltration System
1.3.1 Applicability of Vermifiltration for Sewage Treatment
It has been reported that the vermifiltration technique is an efficient and eco-friendly
process to treat wastewater originating from households (Kumar et al. 2016; Li et al.
2009). Vermifiltration technique has been applied to domestic wastewater treatment
and has shown a significant reduction of COD and NH 3
+
-N (Sinha et al. 2008; Wang
et al. 2010a; Xing et al. 2011). Applicability of vermifiltration technique with
associated process parameters for wastewater treatment is summarized in
Table 1.1. Earthworms consume retained suspended particles in the filter during
ingestion and significantly reduce BOD by more than 90% and COD in the range of
80–90% and a significant reduction in nutrients concentration (Li et al. 2009; Wang
et al. 2011). According to Kumar et al. (2016), application of vermifiltration
employing earthworm species Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae to treat wastewater generated from domestic activities has shown the reduction of about 88% and
70% BOD, 78% and 67% TSS and 75% and 66% TDS, respectively, whereas a
laboratory-scale study has revealed the removal of contaminants like BOD 5 , COD
and TSS from domestic wastewater in the range of 55–66%, 47–65% and 57–78%,
respectively (Xing et al. 2010). The earthworm species Eisenia fetida is one of the
most common species employed to treat domestic wastewater (Gunadi et al. 2002;
Hughes et al. 2009; Sinha et al. 2008). In another study on domestic wastewater
treatment, employing Eisenia fetida as an earthworm species has shown removal of
Worm active zone
Sand + Gravel
Effluent
Influent
Macrophyte
Fig. 1.4 Schematic of a macrophyte-assisted vermifiltration system
1 Applicability of Vermifiltration for Wastewater Treatment and Recycling
7