pollute underground water source and has posed great adverse impacts on the
environment and public health. Dumping of waste also contributes to global
warming and environmental degradation. Open dumping releases methane from
the decomposition of biodegradable waste under anaerobic conditions. Methane is
considered one of the most potent greenhouse gases and is a major contributor to
global warming. There are problem arises with odor and migration of leachate to the
nearby water body, and the leachate (cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium) not only
pollutes water but also threatens aquatic animals and plants. The odor is a critical
issue, particularly during the summer season when the average temperature in India
can exceed 45
C. The workers who engage in handling MSW without protective
equipment are more susceptible to various infections. Also, discarded tires at
dumping site store water and serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other
insects thereby increasing the risk of diseases such as malaria, dengue, etc.
Uncontrolled burning of waste at dumping sites releases fine particles and toxic
gases which are a major cause of respiratory disease and cause smog. Open burning
of MSW and tires emits 22,000 tons of pollutants into the atmosphere around
Mumbai every year (Ramachandra et al. 2018). The city of Delhi recently witnessed
such a situation where the smog arises due to stubble burning in neighboring states.
The impacts of poor waste management on public health are well documented, with
increased incidences of nose and throat infections, breathing difficulties, inflammation, anemia, asthma, and other infections. It is very important to address the waste
by means of proper technology and with the technology that has a minimum impact
and maximum benefit to the environment. There are many technologies that greatly
reduce the volume of waste. Some of the commonly used methods or techniques to
combat the solid waste are thermal process (incineration, pyrolysis), landfilling, and
biological process (composting, vermicomposting) and for liquid waste are primary
treatment, secondary treatment, tertiary treatment, and vermifiltration. Also, many
techniques for remediation of soil pollution due to agrochemicals have been reported
using physical and chemical methods but, in turn, release the toxic compounds to the
environment as by-product or final product.
The aim of this chapter is to focus on the cost-effective, hygienic, potent, and
eco-friendly bioremediation techniques using earthworms like vermitechnology
(vermicomposting and vermifiltration) for the management of solid and liquid
waste, which has become the need of the hour in the present scenario. As earthworms
are safe and have a high rate of degradation of solid waste and in the purification of
liquid waste (polluted water), etc.
6.2 Classifications of Waste
Waste is broadly classified into solid and liquid waste depending on the physical
state/appearance and the source from which the waste is generated. The classification
of waste is shown in Fig. 6.1.
6 Vermitechnology: A Sustainable Approach in the Management of Solid and Liquid. . .
89
environment and public health. Dumping of waste also contributes to global
warming and environmental degradation. Open dumping releases methane from
the decomposition of biodegradable waste under anaerobic conditions. Methane is
considered one of the most potent greenhouse gases and is a major contributor to
global warming. There are problem arises with odor and migration of leachate to the
nearby water body, and the leachate (cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium) not only
pollutes water but also threatens aquatic animals and plants. The odor is a critical
issue, particularly during the summer season when the average temperature in India
can exceed 45
C. The workers who engage in handling MSW without protective
equipment are more susceptible to various infections. Also, discarded tires at
dumping site store water and serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other
insects thereby increasing the risk of diseases such as malaria, dengue, etc.
Uncontrolled burning of waste at dumping sites releases fine particles and toxic
gases which are a major cause of respiratory disease and cause smog. Open burning
of MSW and tires emits 22,000 tons of pollutants into the atmosphere around
Mumbai every year (Ramachandra et al. 2018). The city of Delhi recently witnessed
such a situation where the smog arises due to stubble burning in neighboring states.
The impacts of poor waste management on public health are well documented, with
increased incidences of nose and throat infections, breathing difficulties, inflammation, anemia, asthma, and other infections. It is very important to address the waste
by means of proper technology and with the technology that has a minimum impact
and maximum benefit to the environment. There are many technologies that greatly
reduce the volume of waste. Some of the commonly used methods or techniques to
combat the solid waste are thermal process (incineration, pyrolysis), landfilling, and
biological process (composting, vermicomposting) and for liquid waste are primary
treatment, secondary treatment, tertiary treatment, and vermifiltration. Also, many
techniques for remediation of soil pollution due to agrochemicals have been reported
using physical and chemical methods but, in turn, release the toxic compounds to the
environment as by-product or final product.
The aim of this chapter is to focus on the cost-effective, hygienic, potent, and
eco-friendly bioremediation techniques using earthworms like vermitechnology
(vermicomposting and vermifiltration) for the management of solid and liquid
waste, which has become the need of the hour in the present scenario. As earthworms
are safe and have a high rate of degradation of solid waste and in the purification of
liquid waste (polluted water), etc.
6.2 Classifications of Waste
Waste is broadly classified into solid and liquid waste depending on the physical
state/appearance and the source from which the waste is generated. The classification
of waste is shown in Fig. 6.1.
6 Vermitechnology: A Sustainable Approach in the Management of Solid and Liquid. . .
89