Interactions between sewage sludge-amended soil and earthworms—comparison between Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei composting species

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2016-02, Vol.23 (4), p.3026-3035
• Main Authors: Rorat, Agnieszka, Suleiman, Hanine, Grobelak, Anna, Grosser, Anna, Kacprzak, Małgorzata, Płytycz, Barbara, Vandenbulcke, Franck
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Biodegradation; Cadmium; Clean technology; Coelomocytes; Composting; copper; Earth and Environmental Science; earthworms; ECOTOX; Ecotoxicology; Eisenia andrei; Eisenia fetida; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Restoration and Remediation; Experiments; Food chains; Heavy metals; Introduced species; Lead; Metals; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - metabolism; Metals, Heavy - toxicity; Microorganisms; nickel; Oligochaeta; Oligochaeta - drug effects; Oligochaeta - growth & development; Oligochaeta - metabolism; Organic matter; pollution; Riboflavin; sewage; Sewage - chemistry; Sewage sludge; Sludge; soil; Soil - chemistry; Soil amendment; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; sustainable technology; the INRA's network of ecotoxicologists; Trace Elements; Vermicomposting; vermicomposts; Vitamin B; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water treatment; Worms; zinc
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5635-8

Vermicomposting is an eco-friendly technology, where earthworms are introduced in the waste, inter alia sewage sludge, to cooperate with microorganisms and enhance decomposition of organic matter. The main aims of the present study was to determine the influence of two different earthworm species, Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei, on the changes of selected metallic trace elements content in substratum during vermicomposting process using three different sewage sludge mainly differentiated by their metal contents. Final vermicompost has shown a slight reduction in Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb, while the Zn concentration tends to increase. Accumulation of particular heavy metals in earthworms’ bodies was assessed. Both species revealed high tendency to accumulate Cd and Zn, but not Cu, Ni, and Pb, but E. andrei has higher capabilities to accumulate some metals. Riboflavin content, which content varies depending on metal pollution in several earthworms species, was measured supravitaly in extruded coelomocytes. Riboflavin content decreased slightly during the first 6 weeks of exposure and subsequently restored till the end of the 9-week experiment. Selected agronomic parameters have also been measured in the final product (vermicompost) to assess the influence of earthworms on substratum.