3.2 Vermifilter System
Vermifilter system provides the perfect natural system for earthworms to stimulate
and accelerate microbial degradation of wastewater organics inside the
vermibedding (Sinha et al. 2008). Filter materials are critical to separate pollutants
from wastewater and to make ideal condition for earthworms and microbial networks (Xing et al. 2011). Vermifilter system is structured in a way that the wastewater is supplied on the top and the treated wastewater is collected in the base of the
system. In a vermifilter system reported by Bhise and Anaokar (2015), the sprinkler
system comprised of a simple 16 mm polypropylene pipe with holes for circulation
of wastewater uniformly on filter bed.
3.2.1 Vermifilter Design
The design of a vermifilter system reported by Lakshmi et al. (2014) consisted of
three layers—the bottom layer made up of gravel aggregates of size 16–20 mm and
filled up to the depth of 10 cm. Above this, the second layer consisted of aggregates
of 10 mm sizes filled up to another 10 cm. At the top of this, 10 cm layer of 5 mm
aggregates was reported to be blended with sand. The third layer was the highest
layer comprising of about 10 cm that comprised soil bed in which the earthworms are
Table 3.1 (continued)
Earthworm species
Plant species
Type of
wastewater
Treatment efficiency References
Eisenia fetida, Perionyx
excavatus, and Eudrilus
eugeniae
Not used
Sewage sludge BOD 5 -98%
COD-45%
TSS-90%
Turbidity-98%
Sinha et al.
(2008)
Eisenia fetida
Not used
Petroleum
industry waste
water
Hydrocarbons C10–
C14-99.9%
C15–C28-99.8%
C29–C36-99.7%
Sinha et al.
(2012)
Eisenia fetida
Not used
Community
waste water
Total solids by
85–90%
TSS-90–95%
TDS-80–85%
COD-90–95%
BOD 5 -93–95%
Misal and
Mohite
(2017)
Eudrilus eugeniae
Not used
Dairy effluent
BOD 5 -95%
COD-83%
Total suspended
solids-87%
Oil and grease-97.8%
Jeevitha
et al.
(2016)
38
A. B. Chowdhary et al.
Vermifilter system provides the perfect natural system for earthworms to stimulate
and accelerate microbial degradation of wastewater organics inside the
vermibedding (Sinha et al. 2008). Filter materials are critical to separate pollutants
from wastewater and to make ideal condition for earthworms and microbial networks (Xing et al. 2011). Vermifilter system is structured in a way that the wastewater is supplied on the top and the treated wastewater is collected in the base of the
system. In a vermifilter system reported by Bhise and Anaokar (2015), the sprinkler
system comprised of a simple 16 mm polypropylene pipe with holes for circulation
of wastewater uniformly on filter bed.
3.2.1 Vermifilter Design
The design of a vermifilter system reported by Lakshmi et al. (2014) consisted of
three layers—the bottom layer made up of gravel aggregates of size 16–20 mm and
filled up to the depth of 10 cm. Above this, the second layer consisted of aggregates
of 10 mm sizes filled up to another 10 cm. At the top of this, 10 cm layer of 5 mm
aggregates was reported to be blended with sand. The third layer was the highest
layer comprising of about 10 cm that comprised soil bed in which the earthworms are
Table 3.1 (continued)
Earthworm species
Plant species
Type of
wastewater
Treatment efficiency References
Eisenia fetida, Perionyx
excavatus, and Eudrilus
eugeniae
Not used
Sewage sludge BOD 5 -98%
COD-45%
TSS-90%
Turbidity-98%
Sinha et al.
(2008)
Eisenia fetida
Not used
Petroleum
industry waste
water
Hydrocarbons C10–
C14-99.9%
C15–C28-99.8%
C29–C36-99.7%
Sinha et al.
(2012)
Eisenia fetida
Not used
Community
waste water
Total solids by
85–90%
TSS-90–95%
TDS-80–85%
COD-90–95%
BOD 5 -93–95%
Misal and
Mohite
(2017)
Eudrilus eugeniae
Not used
Dairy effluent
BOD 5 -95%
COD-83%
Total suspended
solids-87%
Oil and grease-97.8%
Jeevitha
et al.
(2016)
38
A. B. Chowdhary et al.