Journal of
Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology

  • Abbreviation: J. Environ. Chem. Ecotoxicol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-226X
  • DOI: 10.5897/JECE
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 197

Full Length Research Paper

Heavy metals remediation from urban wastes using three species of earthworm (Eudrilus eugeniae, Eisenia fetida and Perionyx excavatus)

Swati Pattnaik1 and M. Vikram Reddy1*
1Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry – 605 014, India.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 27 September 2011
  •  Published: 31 December 2011

Abstract

 

Remediation of Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu) and Manganese (Mn) by the three earthworm species - Eudrilus eugeniae, Eisenia fetida and Perionyx excavatus from three different urban wastes (Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Market Waste (MW) and Flower Waste (FW)) through the vermicomposting process carried out for sixty days was investigated. The metals concentrations increased gradually from the initial stage till end (P<0.05). Metals concentrations in earthworm tissues was significantly higher in E. eugeniae than that of E. fetida and P. excavatus(P<0.05). The concentrtions of Cd and Cu were higher in earthworms sampled from vermicompost of  MSW and of Pb, Zn and Mn were higher in that of MW. Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of metals (Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu > Mn) implied that Cd accumulation in earthworm tissue was more than that of substrate whereas the reverse was true for other metals.

 

Key words: Bioremediation, urban waste, heavy metals.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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