Sludges are stabilized to reduce pathogens, eliminate offensive odors and inhibit, reduce or eliminate the potential for putrification. In this study, stabilization of municipal wastewater sludge with and without earthworms (Eisenia fetida) was tested in a pilot study. The earthworms were fed at the optimum level of 0.75 kg-feed/kg-worm/day. Decomposition and stabilization of wastewater sludge occurred both in the presence and in the absence of earthworms during 9 weeks but the process was accelerated in their presence. Phosphorus content increased in the sludge with earthworms but decreased in it without them. Nitrogen content in the resulting vermicompost showed no difference with its quantity in the original substrate while it increased in the control treatment.

Background: Today, vermicompost production process as one of the very good procedures in terms of economic, health, and environmental sustainability to stabilize the organic waste is discussed. The aim of this study is vermicompost production from urban waste by earthworm (Eisenia Fetida) in Household-scale.Methods: In this experimental study, plastic tank of vermicompost production was first prepared, and then using the initial bed, soft soil, compostable waste, and Eisenia Fetida earthworms loading was attempted and after 30 and 90 days, sampling was carried out. In the samples, parameters such as, percent of organic matter, ash, pH, total carbon, total nitrogen, phosphorous, electrical conductivity and humidity was measured.Results: The results showed the organic matter, ash, total carbon, and total nitrogen percentage, ratio of carbon to nitrogen, phosphorous percentage, electrical conductivity, moisture percentage and pH of ripe compost (90 days), 42%±2.8, 53%±0.17, 22%±0.17, 1.12%±0.003, 20±0.25, 2.8%±0.26, 1200±200 ms/cm, 56%±5.5 and 8.3±0.2 repectively and all the parameters measured were consistant with the standards.Conclusion: Considering the results it can be concluded that home owners, by using simple local features, can produce vermicompost with high quality consisting of standards that, in terms of environmental and economic, status, greatly helps municipal solid-waste management system and causes reduction more than 60-70% of domestic waste at its orgin.

Introduction: Salinization of soil has been reported as a problem in many parts of the world. Salinization could occur either as a result of natural processes e. g. high concentrations of salt in parent materials or groundwater and/or anthropogenic actions such as over-irrigation. The salinization probably affects the chemical and physical properties of soil, soil microbiological processes, plant growth, and soil fauna. Both quantity and quality of water, however, are the most important eco-factors needed for earthworm survival and development, and also biodegradation processes. Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the effect of irrigation water salinity on the survival and growth of earthworm Eisenia Fetida, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications under environmental conditions of the laboratory of Soil Sciences Department of Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan. The different types of water used in this study were: distilled water and saline water made with NaCl salt with electrical conductivity (EC) of 2, 4, 6, and 8 dS m-1. The experiment was carried out using completely randomized design in plastic containers of size 19 × 13 × 8 cm. Ten earthworms per container used in each exposure regime were introduced into the relevant test salinity by placing them on the surface and allowing them to burrow in. The test containers were covered with perforated lids to limit water loss due to evaporation and kept in 16 hours light, 8 hours dark at 25°, C in a climate chamber for 42 days. Sampling was done at 3, 15, 21, 27, 33, 39, and 42 days after earthworms were introduced to the substrates to investigate mortality and weight changes of earthworms. The LC50 (concentration at which 50% of the earthworms are killed) and the EC50 (effect concentration at which a 50% reduction in a measured parameter) values for the salts expressed as conductivity (dS m-1) were calculated on day 27 and 42 by using the Probit Analysis. Results and Discussion: On day 3, no significant effect of salinity on percentages of survival was found. The survival rate of Eisenia fetida was significantly affected in the EC range used during 42 days (Table 2). The irrigation with distilled water (EC0) had the highest survival rate while the irrigation water with EC 8 dS m-1 had the lowest value. During the 39 days of exposure, no significant difference was found in survival rate of earthworms between EC 2, EC 4 and EC 6 dS m-1, but at the end of day 42, the salinity levels with EC 8 dS m-1 had a significant effect on percentage of earthworm survival in which 91. 68% mortality occurred. The mean weight change of earthworms exposed to water with EC 2 dS m-1 was not significantly different (p < 0. 01) from those exposed to the distilled water during 39 days, but there was a decrease in earthworm weight on day 42. The calculated LC50 for mortality after 27 and 42 days was 7. 5 and 4. 31 dS m-1, respectively, and EC50 for growth was 7. 94 and 6. 82 dS m-1, respectively. Conclusion: Our results showed that increased salinity had harmful effects on the growth and mortality of the earthworms (Eisenia fetida). Salinity can have detrimental effects on earthworms at concentrations considered safe for many plant species. We determined 42 day LC50 for mortality 4. 31 dS m-1 (2521 mg lit-1). The EC50 for growth was 6. 82 dS dS m-1 (3989 mg lit-1). The weight of earthworms was significantly affected by NaCl and dispersion analysis showed that NaCl concentration had a statistically significant influence on the weight of earthworms. The argument for using NaCl is that it is the predominant salt in most saline environments particularly in wastewaters. Since the salt type is dependent on the source of the contamination, it is, therefore, possible that other salts apart from NaCl could be the main compounds in saline toxicity in a specific area. The results of the current study suggest that the effects of salinity depend on the salt composition. Therefore, it would be important to assess the type of salt ions in soil in risk assessment, as this affects the extent of toxicity to soil organisms.

Purpose: Huge quantity of paper mill wastes are dumped at the outskirt of factory as unwanted materials. Vermicomposting is an eco-friendly technique for beneficial conversion of different biodegradable/organic wastes into useful organic manure utilizing earthworms. Solid wastes generated in paper mills contain appreciable quantity of organic matter. Attempt was made for bio-conversion of Emami paper mill wastes with different numbers of Eisenia fetida (5– 30 earthworms/2 kg substrate) for studying its influence on vermi-conversing time and quality of prepared vermicompost. Method: Vermicomposting was carried out in trays following heap method and quality of final product was determined following both chemical analysis and bioassay on wheat seedlings. Results: Application of more earthworms up to 20 numbers per 2 kg substrate made bio-conversion quicker but further addition of earthworm, however, delayed the process as some earthworms came out of beds and died probably due to competition for food among earthworms inside beds. Ten earthworms per kg paper mill wastes– saw dust– cow dung mixture (1: 0. 5: 0. 5 weight wise) was found as optimum earthworm population for preparing quality vermicompost having more major and secondary plant nutrients. Bioassay of this manure on wheat seedlings also confirmed the analytical findings. Conclusion: It is confirmed that earthworm population in vermibed played vital role in faster decomposition of paper mill wastes and releasing of more nutrients, which ultimately helped in better growth of wheat seedlings. Successful demonstration of vermicomposting technique will encourage local farmers for beneficial utilization of paper mill wastes in their agriculture.

The effect of different agricultural residues and wastes (tomato, potato, barley, sugar-cane, sawdust, and soil) mixed with cow manure at four levels of 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent, on the growth and reproduction rate of Eisenia fetida was studied in wooden boxes (0.70 x 0.50 x 0.20m). Twenty five treatments (factorial of 6 wastes with 4 levels if cow manure plus a cow manure as control) were evaluated in a completely randomized design. Effect of different factors on growth and reproduction rates were highly significant (p<0.0001). The highest growth rate of worms was attained in the mixture with sawdust at %25 level (69.48±1:13.20) and the highest reproduction rate was achieved in the tomato mixture at %75 level (74.00±8.75).Whereas the lowest growth and reproduction rate was observed in the mixture with barely (6.64±1.09 and 3.85±0.89, respectively). Earth worms reduced the dry matter and increased the ash, total nitrogen and pH (≈ 8) in the substrates. It could be concluded that adding earth worms to the organic wastes would produce suitable vermicompost for agricultural purposes.

Background: Today, Vermi compost production process as one of the very good procedures in terms of economic, health, and environmental sustainability to stabilize the organic waste is discussed. The aim of this study was Vermi compost production from fruit and vegetable organization waste by earthworm (Eisenia Fetida). Methods: In order to evaluate the quantity of produced Eisenia Foetida and Vermi compost an investigation was conducted in Azadi fruit and vegetable organization. The experiment was completely randomized design with three replications. Treatments were fruit, leaf vegetable and lettuce, non leafly vegatables, paper and combination of four treatments, in similar conditions. Results: the amount of Vermi compost significantly increased by fruit, combination and non leafly vegetables. Also the numbers of mature Eisenia Foetida, significantly increased by fruit and combination. But there were no significant differences in number of immature worms. Total weight of mature and immature worms was increased significantly by using fruit, combination and non-leafy vegetables. The highest increase in the average body length of mature worms and the most used waste were observed during the use of fruit treatment. The results showed that Vermi-compost quality treatments examined were in the standard range and only in terms of the organic matter was higher than the standard level. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that using waste of fruit and vegetable for producing compost from Eisenia Foetida is fully justified.

In this research household herbal wastes transformed to compost by Eisenia foetida earth worm within 3 months. For this reason, first all herbal wastes were studied in term of Bacteria, parasites, heavy metals and herbal nutrient elements, namely Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P.) and potassium (K.). Then, 3 samples of herbal wastes were selected from different points of compost pits with different dimensions, transported to laboratory, and were analysed. Finally, after compost processing within 3 months, sampling was repeated again and results showed raised herbal nutrient element and improvement ratio of C/N, from 29.5 up to 14.5 and substantial reduction in heavy metals, particularly chrome (Cr), Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) in ripped compost. In this experiment, Mean and S.D. of measured was criteria calculated by SPSS software and Mean & S.D. of initial herbal wastes and processed compost (Vermicompost) also compared by statistical Mann- Whitney. Staisdical test. The number of earthworms increased from 5000 - in the beginning of the experiment - fo 13000 during 3 months of compost processing. Electric conductivity (EC) raised from 1813.33 µs/cn in the initial herbal wastes to 907.33 µs/cn in vermicompost. which shows less salinity in processed compost. It is reported that some salts came be removed by Eisenia foetida during compost processing.      

Phytoremediation is a sustainable and environment friendly remediation technique, the potential of which in removal of soil contaminants has been well documented. On the other hand the activity of earthworms helps improve soil conditions. Hence, it is expected that in soil presence of earthworms can enhance the rate of phytoremediation as regards Anthracene. The aim followed in this work was to investigate the effect of a simultaneous application of Eisenia fetida along with Lolium perenne on the remediation of Anthracene pollutant in the soil. The experiments were carried out in the framework of a completely randomized design of seven triplicated treatments. A dose of 500 mg.kg-1 of Anthracene was introduced into the soil. The experiments were continued for a period of 3 months, following which the residual Anthracene was assessed through HPLC. The results revealed that, Eisenia fetida and Lolium prenne could each independently remove 19.4% vs. 24.2% of Anthracene, respectively. However, a simultaneous introduction of the earthworm along with an establishment of the plant in soil increased the rate of Anthracene removal up to a complete disappearance.

Heavy metals are entered to the environment by mining and by applying sewage sludge and agricultural inputs to soils. These metals have detrimental effects on environment and soil organisms. An experiment was conducted to determine the cadmium affects on earthworms (Eisenia fetida) in a calcareous soil amended with 0 and 5% organic matter. The concentrations of Cd in soils were 0, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg kg-1 and growth parameters of the earthworms were measured with 15 day intervals over 75 days. Survival, growth and cocoon production of earthworms were determined. The results showed that addition of organic matter to soils reduced the toxic effects of cadmium to earthworms. In soils contaminated with Cd the weights of the earthworms decreased with increasing the concentrations of this metal and cadmium had the highest negative effects on cocoon production. The highest earthworm’s mortality was recorded in soils contaminated with cadmium.