BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine the potential of produced compost from the sludge of wastewater treatment plant using earthworms and compare it with the vermicompost produced from household solid waste. METHODS In the current study, three treatments with the same conditions in terms of organic wastes type were prepared to produce vermicompost from household solid waste and s...

western model predicted the site of two other tropical kelp species off Cabo Frio in Brazil. The researchers also came across a reference to another deep-water kelp species off the Philippines. This species was last known to science following collection from a site predicted by the model to be suitable for tropical kelp. With these predictions to hand, the team decided earlier this year to moun...

Earthworms are the most suitable biological indicators of radioactive pollution because they are the parts of nutritional webs, and are present in relatively high numbers. Four months old Eisenia fetida were exposed to different doses of gamma radiation, namely 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 & 60 Gy to study the effects of radiation on different reproductive parameters. The ...

The nitroaromatic compound TNT is a common component in military munitions because of its chemical stability and comparatively safe method of manufacture. In living systems, TNT is rapidly metabolized into four identifi able and extractable compounds (2-amino-4,6dinitrotoluene, 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene, and 2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene). Exposing model organisms to T...

Department of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Trichy620 024 Mail id: [email protected] ABSTRACT: The increasing waste generation rate, high collection cost and dwindling financial resources are the major problems faced by most of the developing countries for efficient solid waste management. In some cities, the organic wastes (Market...

Current descriptions add natives Aporodrilus aoteasp. n., Aporodrilus pongasp. n. and Notoscolex repangasp. n., plus new exotic records to the numbers of megadrile earthworms known from New Zealand, which are now raised from 193 to 222 species in five families, viz: Acanthodrilidae, Octochaetidae and Megascolecidae, plus Lumbricidae and Glossoscolecidae for exotics. Overlooked spermathecal dive...

Although soil invertebrates play a decisive role in maintaining ecosystem functioning, little is known about their structural composition in Alpine soils and how their abundances are affected by the currently ongoing land-use changes. In this study, we re-assessed the soil macrofauna community structure of managed and abandoned Alpine pastureland, which has already been evaluated 14 years earli...

The influence of phlorotannins and bromophenols on the feeding behavior of marine herbivores was determined using bioassay of Turbo cornutus. It was found that phloroglucinol and its oligomers isolated from the brown alga Eisenia bicyclis (eckol, fucofuroeckol A, phlorofucofuroeckol A, dieckol, and 8,8’-bieckol) had a deterrent effect against feeding behavior of T. cornutus in the concentration...

Acute and chronic ecotoxicity tests with zinc were performed with the earthworm Eisenia fetida, the potworm Enchytraeus albidus, and the springtail Folsomia candida. To assess the influence of the soil type on zinc toxicity for these soil invertebrates, these tests were carried out in a standard artificial soil, a sandy and a loamy field soil. Based on the results of this experimental work and ...

This study compared the uptake and depuration of four commonly used pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diclofenac, fluoxetine and orlistat) in two earthworm species (Lumbricus terrestris and Eisenia fetida). L. terrestris are a larger species and often found in deep burrows whereas E. fetida prefer to reside near the soil surface. Species burrowing habits and sizes may alter uptake by earthworms. ...