Header
Search: Advanced search
 
Home
Shopping Cart
Contact Us
Forum
Worms.com 1-800 COMPOST :: Technical 1

  Categories

  Worms at work
  Getting Started
  Forum
  School
  Resources
  Other Resources
  Worm Castings
Worm Castings
Worm Castings
See details
Our price: $12.95

  Worm Tea
Worm Tea
Worm Tea
See details
Our price: $17.00

  Manufacturers

  Special

  Help

  Technical 1

The Effectiveness of Vermiculture in Human Pathogen
Reduction for USEPA Biosolids Stabilization


Bruce R. Eastman1, Philip N. Kane2, Clive A. Edwards3, Linda Trytek4,
Bintoro Gunadi3, Andrea L. Stermer1 and Jacquelyn R. Mobley 1

1. Orange County Environmental Protection Division, Orlando, Florida
2. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Orlando, Florida
3. Soil Ecology Laboratory, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
4. Tri-Tech Laboratories, Inc., Orlando, Florida


A field experiment tested the feasibility of vermicomposting as a method for eliminating human pathogens to obtain United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Class A stabilization in domestic wastewater residuals (biosolids). The experimental site was at the City of Ocoee’s Wastewater Treatment Facility in Ocoee, Florida, and Class B biosolids were used as the earthworm substrate. Two windrows of biosolids 6 m long were heavily inoculated with four human-pathogen indicators, fecal coliforms, Salmonella spp., enteric viruses and helminth ova. The test row was seeded with earthworms, Eisenia fetida. The quantity of E. fetida was calculated at a 1:1.5 wet weight earthworm biomass to biosolids ratio and the earthworms allowed time to consume the biosolids and stabilize the biosolids. The test indicated that all of the pathogen indicators in the test row were decreased more than in the control row within 144 hours. The test row samples showed a 6.4-log reduction in fecal coliforms compared with the control row, which only had a 1.6-log reduction. The test row samples showed an 8.6-log reduction in Salmonella spp., while the control row had a 4.9- log reduction. The test row samples showed a 4.6-log reduction in enteric viruses while the control only had a 1.8-log reduction. The test row samples had a 1.9-log reduction in helminth ova while the control row only had a 0.6-log reduction. Dr. Jim Smith, Senior Environmental Engineer and Pathogen Equivalency Commission (PEC) Chair, for the USEPA, indicated by personal communications, that a three- to four-fold reduction in indicator organisms would be sufficient to warrant serious consideration of vermicomposting as an effective stabilization methodology (Smith 1997). These results in conjunction with pilot project results strongly indicate that vermicomposting could be used as an alternative method for Class A biosolids stabilization. This was obtained statistically by vermicomposting.



  Your cart

  Authentication


Merchant Services

VISA MC

AMEX DISCOVER

eCheck

We accept PayPal

Users online:  38 unregistered customer(s)
Copyright © 1998-2008 Worms.com 1-800 COMPOSTŪ