Science – Future of Lithuania / Mokslas – Lietuvos Ateitis, Vol 6, No 4 (2014)

Changes in the Concentration of Heavy Metals (Cr, Cd, Ni) During the Vermicomposting Process of Sewage Sludge

Aušra Zigmontienė (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania)
Indrė Liberytė (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania)

Abstract


Sewage sludge treatment and utilization is an important issue for a biodegradable waste management strategy. Heavy metals in sewage sludge complicate its use. Vermicomposting is one of the ways to improve the characteristics of sewage sludge and to reduce the residual concentrations of heavy metals. Study on changes in the concentration of heavy metals (Chromium, Nickel and Cadmium), when vermicomposting sewage sludge, was performed using Californian earthworms (Eisenia fetida). For that purpose, 60 kg of sewage sludge from Vilnius Waste Water Treatment Plant were taken thus inserting 1.5 kg of Californian earthworms into it. Optimal conditions for work (optimum temperature, moisture, pH) for earthworms to survive were maintained in the course of the study that lasted 120 days and was conducted in June – August. The samples of sewage sludge and earthworms were taken every 10 days. The concentrations of heavy metals in sewage sludge were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Article in: Lithuanian

Article published: 2014-10-24

Keyword(s): organic waste; heavy metals; vermicomposting; vermicompost; Californian earthworms.

DOI: 10.3846/mla.2014.49

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Science – Future of Lithuania / Mokslas – Lietuvos Ateitis ISSN 2029-2341, eISSN 2029-2252
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License.