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Year: 2015, Issue: June
Quality of vermicompost made out of municipal solid waste.
Author:
G. Amaravathi and R. Mallikarjuna Reddy
Keyword:
Vermicompost, Municipal solid waste, Vermicompost quality, Eisenia feotida, Perionyx excavatus.
The vermicompost produced using municipal solid waste is compared with the quality parameters specified by WHO. Out of eight parameters mentioned in the standards, six parameters are taken into consideration and they are compared with the samples. These six parameters are total carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, moisture content, pH and C/N ratio. Of these six parameters the total carbon, total phosphorus, moisture and pH of the samples are in accordance with the WHO standards. Nitrogen content of all the samples is much lower than the nitrogen content of the standards. On the other hand, C/N ratio varies with the period of vermicposting and materials used for vermicomposting. Based on the quality parameters mentioned by WHO standards, vermicompost prepared out of only municipal solid waste is observed to be poor quality. The addition of cattle dung or soil or both to municipal solid waste in limited proportion will yield good quality vermicompost. Further, the study indicates that both the earthworm species, Eisenia feotida, Perionyx excavatus, are equally efficient in converting municipal solid waste into good quality vermicompost.
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