Vermiculture as a tool for domestic wastewater management

• Published in: Water science and technology 2003-01, Vol.48 (11-12), p.125-132
• Main Authors: BAJSA, O, NALR, J, MATHEW, K, HO, G. E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agricultural management; Agriculture; Agrochemicals; Animals; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of waters; Biotechnology; Composting; Conservation of Natural Resources; Domestic wastewater; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Filtration; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Household wastes; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Landfills; Management systems; Municipal waste management; Nutrient cycles; Nutrients; Oligochaeta; Organic matter; Organic wastes; Other wastewaters; Pathogens; Pollution; Sewage; Sewage disposal; Sewage sludge; Sewage treatment; Sewage treatment plants; Soil Microbiology; Sustainability; Vermicomposting; Vermiculture; Waste disposal; Waste disposal sites; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste management; Waste management industry; Waste treatment; Wastewater management; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution; Worms
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2004.0821

Organic waste management is a growing issue due to the unsustainable practices of its disposal. Sewage treatment plants are designed to treat wastewater to produce a safe effluent. However, one of the by-products, the sewage sludge which is disposed off in landfill or used as fertilizer in agricultural operation is high in pathogens. Sustainability can be achieved by Vermicomposting of organic matter which involves accelerated cycling of nutrients though a closed cycle whereby waste products are put to productive end use. Vermicomposting and vermifiltration are natural waste management processes relying on the use of worms to convert organic wastes to stable soil enriching compounds. Domestic wastewater management can be accommodated through these processes in a sustainable manner. A considerable reduction in pathogens has been noticed in the end product to a level that it can be safely applied to land. This paper provides an overview of the system characteristics of management systems utilising vermiculture, to manage wastewater. The process can be used in a small scale for household waste treatment to rural or urban waste management.