17.2.5 Earthworms as Bio-indicators
An earthworm can act as the bio-indicators to evaluate the heavy metal and pesticides in the soil (Paoletti et al. 1991). It is capable of remediating heavy metal waste
during vermicomposting via accumulating them in their body (Gupta et al. 1997).
17.2.6 Earthworms as Eco-engineers
They act on toxic waste material and change it into nontoxic valuable manure with
the help of microorganisms. In this way, it is helpful to maintain the nutrient cycle of
the ecosystem (Edwards et al. 1996).
17.3 Earthworm-Assisted Waste Management
Technologies
Various technologies such as open and closed composting have been invented by
several researchers in the past decades to manage solid waste, which could only
increase the soil fertility but could not completely manage the waste material. These
traditional techniques, on the other hand, cause various types of pollution in an
environment. Thus, earthworm-assisted technology to manage the organic wastes
was introduced, which is called vermitechnology. It is found to manage all the types
of organic wastes efficiently with the help of earthworms (Table 17.2). It converts
Table 17.2 Amelioration of different organic wastes using earthworms
S. no. Types of wastes
Earthworm’s species used References
1.
Textile mill sludge and
cow dung
Eisenia fetida
Kaushik and Garg (2003)
2.
Textile mill sludge with
Poultry
Eisenia fetida
Garg and Kaushik (2005)
3.
Agro-industrial wastes
Eisenia fetida
Garg et al. (2006)
4.
Industrial wastes
Eudrilus eugeniae
Kitturmath et al. (2007)
5.
Fly ash—a lignite waste
Lampito mauritii
Ananthakrishnasamy et al.
(2009)
6.
Thermal power plant fly
ash
Eisenia fetida
Singh et al. (2016)
7.
Municipal solid waste
Eisenia fetida and Lempito
mauritii
Sharma (2003)
8.
Bagasse waste
Eisenia fetida
Bhat et al. (2015a)
9.
Rice husk
Eudrilus eugeniae
Lim et al. (2012)
10.
Fly ash
Eisenia fetida
Bhattacharya and
Chattopadhyay (2004)
286
B. Sohal and A. P. Vig
An earthworm can act as the bio-indicators to evaluate the heavy metal and pesticides in the soil (Paoletti et al. 1991). It is capable of remediating heavy metal waste
during vermicomposting via accumulating them in their body (Gupta et al. 1997).
17.2.6 Earthworms as Eco-engineers
They act on toxic waste material and change it into nontoxic valuable manure with
the help of microorganisms. In this way, it is helpful to maintain the nutrient cycle of
the ecosystem (Edwards et al. 1996).
17.3 Earthworm-Assisted Waste Management
Technologies
Various technologies such as open and closed composting have been invented by
several researchers in the past decades to manage solid waste, which could only
increase the soil fertility but could not completely manage the waste material. These
traditional techniques, on the other hand, cause various types of pollution in an
environment. Thus, earthworm-assisted technology to manage the organic wastes
was introduced, which is called vermitechnology. It is found to manage all the types
of organic wastes efficiently with the help of earthworms (Table 17.2). It converts
Table 17.2 Amelioration of different organic wastes using earthworms
S. no. Types of wastes
Earthworm’s species used References
1.
Textile mill sludge and
cow dung
Eisenia fetida
Kaushik and Garg (2003)
2.
Textile mill sludge with
Poultry
Eisenia fetida
Garg and Kaushik (2005)
3.
Agro-industrial wastes
Eisenia fetida
Garg et al. (2006)
4.
Industrial wastes
Eudrilus eugeniae
Kitturmath et al. (2007)
5.
Fly ash—a lignite waste
Lampito mauritii
Ananthakrishnasamy et al.
(2009)
6.
Thermal power plant fly
ash
Eisenia fetida
Singh et al. (2016)
7.
Municipal solid waste
Eisenia fetida and Lempito
mauritii
Sharma (2003)
8.
Bagasse waste
Eisenia fetida
Bhat et al. (2015a)
9.
Rice husk
Eudrilus eugeniae
Lim et al. (2012)
10.
Fly ash
Eisenia fetida
Bhattacharya and
Chattopadhyay (2004)
286
B. Sohal and A. P. Vig