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Comparing the Performance Efficiency of a Vermi-Reactor using Eisenia foetida for the Treatment of Municipal Solid Waste


Haritha M
Pages: 119-132
ISBN: 978-93-5834-899-6


Current Advances in Civil Engineering Research (Volume -1)

Current Advances in Civil Engineering Research
(Volume - 1)

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is becoming a critical issue because of the rapid increase in population and changes through human activity. Vermicomposting is an organic waste management technology. It is the bio-conversion of organic waste into vermicasts by the action of earthworms. This is an ecofriendly, cost-effective and an ideal method for the management of solid waste. In this work, it is attempted to compare the efficiency of vermireactor unit when it is fed with solid food waste and the combination of solid food waste and paper waste. Solid food waste and the combination of solid food waste and paper waste in appropriate proportion are processed in reactor unit for twenty days. Red Wiggler (Eisenia foetida) is used as the vermin. Initially the solid food waste is used as the feed and the sludge was collected for analysis. Then, the reactor container is reset by adding a combination of solid food waste and paper waste as the feed for the vermin. After acquiring required processing period, the combined sludge is collected for the analysis. Some basic characteristics of the sludge like pH, color, odor and turbidity from the two sets of feed are analyzed on 10th and 20th day. The color of fresh sewage gets changed into light brown during the 10th day for both the waste. The light brown color gets converted into blackish brown during the 20th day in both the solid food waste and the combination of solid food waste and paper waste. As the reaction progresses, the musty smell changes to an offensive smell for both the samples. The increased level in turbidity is found on the 20th day when the vermireactor is fed with solid food waste alone. The pH of the sludge is found to be minimum on 20th day for the combination of solid food waste and paper waste which might be due to the decomposition of organic substrates by microbial activity resulting in the production of CO2 and other intermediate species of organic acids in vermicompost. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) test results showed that that the amount of BOD and COD present in the sample from both solid food waste and the combination of solid food waste and paper waste decreases as the reaction progresses. The vermicast obtained from both the container was tested for the presence of NPK content in them and it is clearly identified that NPK value is higher for vermicast collected from the container having solid food waste only. So, it can be concluded from the results that the vermireactor unit fed with solid food waste alone is more efficient in its disposal as compared to the vermireactor unit fed with a combination of solid food waste and paper waste.

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