exudates contain several sources of carbon and nutrients that help to extract nitrogen
by encouraging denitrification of nitrified nitrogen (Lin et al. 2002). The plant root
exudates provides habitat to the microbes and thus allow for a higher rate of
degradation. The root exudates also possess many antibacterial properties that help
in killing harmful pathogens that are brought along with the wastewater (Nokes et al.
2003; Tunçsiper et al. 2012). The killing of the pathogens could also be due to the
sticky and slimy nature of the exudates, which makes it impossible for the bacteria to
escape or move to new places for food consumption.
3.3 Different Types of Wastewater Treated Through
the Vermifiltration
The vermifiltration process is a combined action of the earthworms, soil, sand, and
gravel particles. The vermifiltration technology was proposed as an alternative
wastewater treatment method in developing countries that face different wastewater
treatment challenges.
3.3.1 Urban/Domestic Wastewater Treatment
The vermifilter may be an efficient technology for stabilization of excess sludge from
domestic, municipal wastewater treatment plants (Wei et al. 2003). Vermifiltration is
an environment-friendly and economically feasible technology for domestic sewage
treatment in rural areas and for herbal pharmaceutical wastewater treatment (Li et al.
2009; Dhadse et al. 2010). Eudrilus eugeniae earthworm could operate in the filter
above 40
C and increased the vermifilter conditions. It has been reported that the
elimination of BOD 5 , COD, TSS, and coliform organisms with the vermifilter could
perform better than with the filter without earthworms (Adugna et al. 2014). The
integrated vermi-biofiltration reactor has been reported to be more efficient than the
traditional biofiltration system in removing key chemical pollutants from wastewater. The efficacy of the vermi-biofiltration system in wastewater treatment is well
reported in the literature. However, further detailed studies are needed to address
some of this system’s key issues, such as hydraulic load, retention time impact,
vermibed microbial ecology, earthworm-microbial interactions, etc. (Tomar and
Suthar 2011). The proportion of more than 0.3 g of earthworm was significantly
associated with COD, BOD 5 , SS, and NH 4 -N removal levels, which suggested that
the larger earthworms (Eisenia fetida) could play a more important role in vermifilter
wastewater treatment compared to the smaller one. The hydraulic loading has been
reported to have little influence on the reproduction of earthworms and the increase
of juveniles, the decrease in adults and larger earthworms contributed to the decrease
in vermifilter treatment efficiency (Xing et al. 2010). Authors have reported good
3 Treatment of Wastewater by Vermifiltration Integrated with Plants
43
by encouraging denitrification of nitrified nitrogen (Lin et al. 2002). The plant root
exudates provides habitat to the microbes and thus allow for a higher rate of
degradation. The root exudates also possess many antibacterial properties that help
in killing harmful pathogens that are brought along with the wastewater (Nokes et al.
2003; Tunçsiper et al. 2012). The killing of the pathogens could also be due to the
sticky and slimy nature of the exudates, which makes it impossible for the bacteria to
escape or move to new places for food consumption.
3.3 Different Types of Wastewater Treated Through
the Vermifiltration
The vermifiltration process is a combined action of the earthworms, soil, sand, and
gravel particles. The vermifiltration technology was proposed as an alternative
wastewater treatment method in developing countries that face different wastewater
treatment challenges.
3.3.1 Urban/Domestic Wastewater Treatment
The vermifilter may be an efficient technology for stabilization of excess sludge from
domestic, municipal wastewater treatment plants (Wei et al. 2003). Vermifiltration is
an environment-friendly and economically feasible technology for domestic sewage
treatment in rural areas and for herbal pharmaceutical wastewater treatment (Li et al.
2009; Dhadse et al. 2010). Eudrilus eugeniae earthworm could operate in the filter
above 40
C and increased the vermifilter conditions. It has been reported that the
elimination of BOD 5 , COD, TSS, and coliform organisms with the vermifilter could
perform better than with the filter without earthworms (Adugna et al. 2014). The
integrated vermi-biofiltration reactor has been reported to be more efficient than the
traditional biofiltration system in removing key chemical pollutants from wastewater. The efficacy of the vermi-biofiltration system in wastewater treatment is well
reported in the literature. However, further detailed studies are needed to address
some of this system’s key issues, such as hydraulic load, retention time impact,
vermibed microbial ecology, earthworm-microbial interactions, etc. (Tomar and
Suthar 2011). The proportion of more than 0.3 g of earthworm was significantly
associated with COD, BOD 5 , SS, and NH 4 -N removal levels, which suggested that
the larger earthworms (Eisenia fetida) could play a more important role in vermifilter
wastewater treatment compared to the smaller one. The hydraulic loading has been
reported to have little influence on the reproduction of earthworms and the increase
of juveniles, the decrease in adults and larger earthworms contributed to the decrease
in vermifilter treatment efficiency (Xing et al. 2010). Authors have reported good
3 Treatment of Wastewater by Vermifiltration Integrated with Plants
43