Vermicomposting is an established process to convert organic wastes into vermicastings suitable for plant growth. This research investigated the vermicomposting of anaerobic digestate with four different ratios of sawdust as a bulking material, for 75 days. The optimum proportion of anaerobic digestate to sawdust was identified as 70:30 based on worm growth and reproduction. Vermicomposting pro...

This review discusses the differences between composting and vermicomposting of biodegradable solid waste. Solid waste management is a major challenge worldwide due to the rise in population and industrialization, leading to larger amount of solid wastes being generated. Biological process has been widely recognized in converting solid organic materials into environmental friendly and value add...

The aim of this work was to test combination of the thermocomposting and vermicomposting to improve the treatment efficiency and assess the optimum period required in each method to produce good quality compost. The results showed that pre-thermocomposting improved vermicomposting of kitchen waste. A 9-day thermocomposting prior to vermicomposting helped in mass reduction, moisture management a...

This paper reports the vermicomposting of food industry sludges (FIS) mixed with different organic wastes employing Eisenia fetida. A total of 10 vermicomposting units containing different wastes combinations were established. After 15 weeks significant increase in total nitrogen (N(total)) (60-214%), total available phosphorous (P(avail)) (35.8-69.6%), total sodium (Na(total)) (39-95%), and to...

Vermicomposting using Lumbricus rubellus for 49 days was conducted after 21 days of pre-composting. Three different combination of treatments were prepared with eight replicates for each treatment namely cow dung: kitchen waste in 30:70 ratio (T(1)), cow dung: coffee grounds in 30:70 ratio (T(2)), and cow dung: kitchen waste: coffee grounds in 30:35:35 ratio (T(3)). The multiplication of earthw...

The present study is aimed at alteration of sewage sludge into stable compost product using vermicomposting of sewage sludge mixed with cattle manure and saw dust in five different proportions based on C/N ratios (C/N 15 (R1), 20 (R2), 25 (R3) and 30 (R4); and control (R5)) by employing an epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida. Higher reductions in C/N ratio, CO2 evolution and OUR were observed in R...

A mathematical model was established to describe ecological relationships in a continuous vermicomposting system. The distributions of organic matter, microbes and earthworms on non-dimensional specific growth rates were simulated. The range of specific growth rates were visualized utilizing three-dimensional reconstruction technology. The stability of a vermicomposting system was not influence...

Inadequate organic waste management can contribute to the spread of diseases and have negative impacts on the environment. Vermicomposting organic waste could have dual beneficial effects by generating an economically viable animal feed protein in the form of worm biomass, while alleviating the negative effects of poor organic waste management. In this study, a low-maintenance vermicomposting s...

Traditional thermophilic composting is commonly adopted for treatment of organic wastes or for production of organic/natural fertilizers. A related technique, called vermicomposting (using earthworms to breakdown the organic wastes) is also becoming popular. These two techniques have their inherent advantages and disadvantages. The integrated approach suggested in this study borrows pertinent a...

It is known that in vermicomposting soil layer in bedding of the reactor helps in earthworm biomass growth and reproduction but growth is influenced by soil characteristics such as texture, pH, and water holding capacity. The present study was conducted to asses the influence of soils on earthworm biomass growth and reproduction during the vermicomposting of source separated human faeces. The s...