Abstract
Earthworms’ body works as a ‘biofilter’ and they have been found to remove the 5 days’ BOD (BOD5) by over 90%, COD by 80–90%, total dissolved solids (TDS) by 90–92%, and the total suspended solids (TSS) by 90–95% from wastewater by the general mechanism of ‘ingestion’ and biodegradation of organic wastes, heavy metals, and solids from wastewater and also by their ‘absorption’ through body walls. Earthworms increase the hydraulic conductivity and natural aeration by granulating the clay particles. They also grind the silt and sand particles, increasing the total specific surface area, which enhances the ability to ‘adsorb’ the organics and inorganic from the wastewater. Intensification of soil processes and aeration by the earthworms enable the soil stabilization and filtration system to become effective and smaller in size. Suspended solids are trapped on top of the vermifilter and processed by earthworms and fed to the soil microbes immobilized in the vermifilter. There is no sludge formation in the process which requires additional expenditure on landfill disposal. This is also an odor-free process and the resulting vermifiltered water is clean and disinfected enough to be reused for farm irrigation and in parks and gardens
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ARRPET (2005) Vermicomposting as an eco-tool in sustainable solid waste management. The Asian Regional Research Program on Environmental Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, Anna University, India
Bajsa O, Nair J, Mathew K, Ho GE (2003) Vermiculture as a tool for domestic wastewater management. Water science and technology. vol 48, no 11–12. IWA Publishing, pp 125–132 (Viewed on 5th May 2006. www.iwaponline.com/wst/04811/wst048110125.htm
Bharambe G (2006) Vermifiltration of wastewater from food processing industries (brewery and milk dairy) in Brisbane. 20 CP project submitted for the partial fulfillment of the degree of Master in Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Engineering, Griffith University, Brisbane, June 2006 (Supervisor Dr. Rajiv K. Sinha)
Bhawalkar U (1995) Vermiculture eco-technology. Pub. of Bhawalkar Earthworm Research Institute (BERI), Pune, India
Binet F, Fayolle L, Pussard M (1998) Significance of earthworms in stimulating soil microbial activity. Biol Fertil Soils 27:79–84
Chaudhari U (2006) Vermifiltration of municipal wastewater (sewage) in Brisbane. 20 CP Project submitted for the partial fulfillment of the degree of Master in Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Engineering, Griffith University, Brisbane, June 2006 (Supervisor Dr. Rajiv K. Sinha)
Darwin F, Seward AC (1903) More letters of Charles Darwin. A record of his work in series of hitherto unpublished letters, vol 2. John Murray, London, 508 pp
Dash MC (1978) Role of earthworms in the decomposer system. In: Singh JS, Gopal B (eds) Glimpses of ecology. India International Scientific Publication, New Delhi, 399–406
Edwards CA, Fletcher KE (1988) Interaction between earthworms and microorganisms in organic matter breakdown. Agri Ecosyst Environ 24:235–247
Fraser-Quick G (2002) Vermiculture––a sustainable total waste management solution. What’s New Waste Manag 4(6):13–16
Gardner T, Geary P, Gordon I (1997) Ecological sustainability and on-site effluent treatment systems. Aust J Environ Manage 4:144–156
Gerard BM (1960) The biology of certain British earthworms in relation to environmental conditions, Ph.D. Thesis, University of London
Graff O (1981) Preliminary experiment of vermicomposting of different waste materials using Eudrilus eugeniae Kingberg. In: Appelhof M (ed) Proceedings of the workshop on ‘role of earthworms in the stabilization of organic residues’. Malanazoo Pub. Michigan, USA 179–191
Gunathilagraj K (1996) Earthworm: an introduction. Indian council of agricultural research training program; Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore
Hand P (1988) Earthworm biotechnology. In: Greenshields R (ed) Resources and application of biotechnology: the new wave. MacMillan Press Ltd, US
Hartenstein R, Bisesi MS (1989) Use of earthworm biotechnology for the management of effluents from intensively housed livestock. Outlook Agriculture, vol 18. USA, pp 72–76
Hughes RJ, Nair J, Mathew K (2005) The implications of wastewater vermicomposting technologies: on-site treatment systems for sustainable sanitation. WAMDEC conference, Zimbabwe, July 27–30
Hughes RJ, Nair J, Mathew K, Ho G (2007) Toxicity of domestic wastewater pH to key earthworm species within an innovative decentralised vermifiltration system. Water Sci Technol 55(7):211–218
Ireland MP (1983) Heavy metals uptake in earthworms; earthworm ecology. Chapman & Hall, London
Kerr M, Stewart AJ (2006) Tolerance test of Elsenia fetida for sodium chloride. US Department of Energy Journal of Undergraduate Research (http://www.scied.science.doe.gov)
Komarowski S (2001) Vermiculture for sewage and water treatment sludges. Water, Publication of Australian Water and Wastewater Association, July, pp 39–43
Markman S, Guschinna IA, Barnsleya S, Buchanana KL, Pascoea D, Mullera CT (2007) Endocrine disrupting chemicals accumulate in earthworms exposed to sewage effluents. Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. J Chemosphere 70(1):119–125
Martin JP (1976) Darwin on earthworms: the formation of vegetable moulds. Bookworm Publishing, ISBN 0-916302-06-7
Morgan M, Burrows I (1982) Earthworms/microorganisms interactions. Rothamsted Exp. Stn. Rep
OECD (2000) Guidelines for testing organic chemicals. Proposal for new guidelines: earthworms reproduction tests (E. fetida andrei). Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (www.oecd.org)
Pierre V, Phillip R, Margnerite L, Pierrette C (1982) Anti-bacterial activity of the haemolytic system from the earthworms Eisinia foetida andrei. Invertebrate Pathology 40:21–27
Roots BI (1956) The water relation of earthworms; ii. resistance to desiccation & emersion and behavior when submerged and when allowed a choice of environment. J Exper Biol 33:29–44
Safawat H, Hanna S, Weaver RW (2002) Earthworms survival in oil contaminated soil. J Plant and Soil 240:127–132
Satchell JE (1983) Earthworm ecology- from darwin to vermiculture. Chapman and Hall Ltd., London pp 1–5
Singleton DR, Hendrix BF, Coleman DC, Whitemann WB (2003) Identification of uncultured bacteria tightly associated with the intestine of the earthworms Lumricus rubellus. Soil Bio Biochem 35:1547–1555
Sinha RK, Bharambe G (2007) Removal of high BOD and COD loadings of primary liquid waste products from dairy industry by vermifiltration technology using earthworms; Ind J Enviro Prot (IJEP) 27(6):486–501; ISSN 0253-7141; Regd. No. R.N. 40280/83; Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, India
Sinha RK, Heart S, Agarwal S, Asadi R, Carretero E (2002) Vermiculture technology for environmental management: study of the action of the earthworms Eisinia foetida, Eudrilus euginae and Perionyx excavatus on biodegradation of some community wastes in India and Australia. The Environmentalist 22(2):261–268
Sinha RK, Nair J, Bharambe G, Patil S, Bapat P (2007) Vermiculture revolution: a low-cost & sustainable technology for management of municipal & industrial organic wastes (solid & liquid) by earthworms. Invited Paper by NOVA Science Publishers, NY, USA (Edited book: Waste management: research development & policy)
Taylor et al (2003) The treatment of domestic wastewater using small-scale vermicompost filter beds. Ecol Eng 21:197–203
UNSW ROU (2002) Best practice guidelines to managing on-site vermiculture technologies. University of New South Wales Recycling Organics Unit, Sydney, NSW, Australia (Viewed on December 2004 www.resource.nsw.gov.au/data/Vermiculture%20BPG.pdf
Xing M, Yang J, Lu Z (2005) Microorganism-earthworm integrated biological treatment process––a sewage treatment option for rural settlements. ICID 21st European regional conference, 15–19 May 2005, Frankfurt; Viewed on 18 April 2006. www.zalf.de/icid/ICID_ERC2005/HTML/ERC2005PDF/Topic_1/Xing.pdf
Acknowledgments
Authors feel grateful to Professor Roger Braddock former Director of CESR at Griffith University and Professor Bofo Yu Dy. HOS and present Director of CESR, for providing the financial support to carry out the research program. We thank Jane Giffkins and Michelle in the PC 2 lab for providing the laboratory support for analytical studies and Ehrsam Werner for providing space in the PC 2 lab for experimental studies with the vermiculture kits. Gokul Bharambe deserves special appreciation for conducting experiments, doing all the calculations and preparing the tables and graphs.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
G. Bharambe—GU & Research Assistant (Under Rajiv K. Sinha), U. Chaudhari—GU (Worked on vermiculture project).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sinha, R.K., Bharambe, G. & Chaudhari, U. Sewage treatment by vermifiltration with synchronous treatment of sludge by earthworms: a low-cost sustainable technology over conventional systems with potential for decentralization. Environmentalist 28, 409–420 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-008-9162-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-008-9162-8