SOLID WASTE.docx

7/23/2019 SOLID WASTE.docx

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SOLID WASTE:Solid wastemeans any garbage, refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatmentplant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and otherdiscarded materials including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseousmaterial, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining and agriculturaloperationsComposting:

1. Compostingis nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materialsinto a rich soil known as compost. Anything that was once living willdecompose. Basically, backyardcompostingis an acceleration of the sameprocess nature uses.

What is vermicomposting

t!s the process of composting using various worms to create a heterogeneousmi"ture .#i"ture made of food waste , bedding material and vermicast.$ermicast, also called worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by an earthworm.%ontaining water-soluble nutrients, vermicomposting is an e"cellent, nutrient-richorganic fertili&er and soil conditioner. his process is called vermicomposting

(O!Worm compostingis using wormsto recycle food scraps and other organicmaterial into a valuable soil amendment called vermicompost, orwormcompost. Wormseat food scraps, which become compostas they pass

through the worm"sbody.

()*+ /#+0ne of the earthworm speciesmost often used for composting is the /ediggler Eiseniafetida or Eiseniaandrei23 L#mbric#s r#bell#sa.k.a. redearthworm or dilong %hina22 is another breed of worm that can be used, but itdoes not adapt as well to the shallow compost bin as does Eiseniafetida.

ype ofworms used for compostinghe best kind of earthwormsto use are red worms, also known as4redwigglers4 and 4manure worms4. hese worms thrive in decomposingorganic matter such as leaf piles, compost heaps and old manure piles. hey are

smaller than nightcrawlers and are reddish brown in color.$E%E&ITS:Soilmproves soil aeration*nriches soil with micro-organisms adding en&ymessuchas phosphataseand cellulase2#icrobial activity in worm castings is 15 to 65 times higher than in the soil andorganic matter that the worm ingests 7689

Attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soilmproves water holding capacity76:9

'lant growth*nhances germination, plant growth, and crop yieldmproves root growth and structure
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzymeshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphatasehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulasehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicompost#cite_note-27https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicompost#cite_note-28https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphatasehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulasehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicompost#cite_note-27https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicompost#cite_note-28https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzymes


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*nriches soil with micro-organisms adding plant hormonessuchas au"insand gibberellic acid27citation needed9

EconomicBiowastes conversion reduces waste ;ow to landobs at local level?ow capital investment and relatively simple technologies makevermicomposting practical for less-developed agricultural regionsEnvironmental

@elps to close the 4metabolic gap4 through recycling waste on-site ?arge systems often use temperature control and mechani&ed harvesting,

however other equipment is relatively simple and does not wear out quickly7citationneeded9

)roduction reduces greenhouse gasemissions such as methaneand nitrico"ideproduced in land


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t is necessary to monitor the temperatures of large-scale bin systems which canhave high heat-retentiveproperties2, as the feedstocksused can compost,heating up the worm bins as they decay and killing the worms.

+uitable species

ne of the earthwormspecies most often used for composting is the /ed iggler

Eisenia fetidaor Eisenia andrei23 Lumbricus rubellusa.k.a. red earthworm or

dilong %hina22 is another breed of wormthat can be used, but it does not adapt

as well to the shallow compostbin as does Eisenia fetida. *uropean

nightcrawlers Eisenia hortensis2 may also be used. Hsers refer to *uropean

nightcrawlers by a variety of other names, including dendrobaenas, dendras, and

Belgian nightcrawlers. African Iightcrawlers Eudrilus eugeniae2 are another set

of popular composters. Lumbricus terrestrisa.k.a. %anadian nightcrawlers H+2

or common earthworm HJ22 are not recommended, as they burrow deeper than

most compost bins can accommodate.7G9

Blueworms Perionyx excavatus2 may be used in the tropics.7C9

hese species commonly are found in organic-rich soils

throughout *uropeand Iorth Americaand live in rotting vegetation, compost,

and manurepiles. hey may be aninvasive speciesin some areas.7197F9

As they areshallow-dwelling and feed on decomposing plant matter in the soil, they adapt

easily to living on food or plant waste in the con


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orms And $ermicomposting0 Best ypes f orms or $ermicomposting

mage by popovaphoto

By Kackie %arroll

$ermicompostingis a quick, eLcient way to convert kitchen scraps into a rich

soil amendment using earthworms. $ermicompost worms break down organic

matter, such as kitchen scraps, into waste products called castings. Although

castings may be waste to the worms, they are a rich treasure for gardeners.

$ermicompost is richer in essential plant nutrients, such

as nitrogen, phosphorousand potassium, than traditional compost. t also

contains microbes that help plants grow.

%an Any ype of *arthworm be Hsed for $ermicompostingM

he best types of worms for vermicomposting are red wigglers Eisenia fetida2

and redworms Lumbricus rubellus2. hese two species make great worms for the

compost bin because they prefer a compost environment to plain soil, and they

are very easy to keep. orms that feed on vegetable waste, compost, andorganic bedding produce richer casting than those that feed on plain soil.

(ou won!t


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orms and vermicomposting bins don!t smell, so you cankeep worms indoors

year round. t!s a great way to use up your kitchen scraps, and the kids will en>oy

helping out with the worm farm. f you choose the right vermicomposting worm

types and feed them regularlyabout one-half pound of food scraps per pound of

worms per day2, you!ll have a steady supply of vermicompost for your garden.

ATEIALS:Starting aterials

A worm bin)purchased or made from easily accessible and ine"pensive

materials according to our instructions. here are several types of worm bins and

the type you have will slightly impact how you care for your worms. n general,

plastic bins are more vulnerable to overheating when e"posed to direct sunlight

and retain more water compared to wood bins. +tacking and ;ow through bins

generally drain much more readily than single-compartment bins, though all

should have at least some way to avoid pooling water.

Shredded newspaper)enough to ust keep in mind that bedding

serves several purposes0 12 to provide a carbon source, 62 to provide bulk and

help keep food waste from matting down and blocking air;ow, and 2 to absorb

e"cess moisture. +traw can provide carbon and can provide bulk, but does not

absorb much moisture, whereas cardboard doesn!t bulk up very well. Iewspaper

meets all needs. f you don!t use newspaper, use a mi" of other materials so all

needs are met.

Additional organic materialis optional but can be very helpful when setting

up a new bin as it can help introduce the proper microorganisms to the system. A

bit of near-


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&ood wasteshould consist of fruit and vegetable scraps andOor coNee grounds.

Acidic or potent items such as citrus, onions, and hot peppers must be avoidedD

remember that a worm!s body is basically one large mucus membrane, so

anything that stings your eye will be very painful for them. +ome people feed

their worms bread, rice, or beans, but be aware that these items may ferment or

mold heavily in your bin and may disturb the worms in large quantities. #eat,

dairy, and oils should be kept out of the bin as they will cause odors and attract

pests.

Wormsshould be red wiggler worms, or *insenia fetida. +ome people use

nightcrawlers or blue worms, but red wrigglers are considered the standard for

vermicomposting because they can tolerate a wider range of conditions while

still being e"tremely productive. (ou should have about 1 lb, or 1555 worms, for

every square foot of bin space. (ou can buy worms at sland +eed and

eed, @ealing Prounds Iursery, Hncle Kim!s orm arm, and many garden and

hardware stores.

SET*':Set#p

1. f possible, you should try to set up your bin about two days before addingworms. his allows the moisture level to reach equilibrium and lets the food

waste start to break downD worms do not actually eat fresh foods but rather feedon the microbes that thrive by decomposing food scraps.

6. %over the bottom of your bin with a layer of shredded newspaper. #i" itwith your hand so that it is fairly ;uNed up it will compact with food and water,this is


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Table o+ Contents1. Introd#ction6. Important &acts Abo#t ,ermicasting. ,ermicast &ertili-er CharacteristicsG. Earthworms ./.C. $in or eactor DesignF. $atch S0stems8. Contin#o#s &low S0stems:. E1ample $in Design +or Two2'erson 3o#sehold=. Separating Earthworms &rom the ,ermicasts15. Concl#sion11. e+erences

Introd#ction

$ermicasting, also called vermicomposting, is the processing of organic wastes

through earthworms &ig#re .2. t is a natural, odourless, aerobic process, much

diNerent from traditional composting. *arthworms ingest waste then e"crete

casts D dark, odourless, nutrient- and organically rich, soil mud granules that

make an e"cellent soil conditioner. *arthworm casts are a ready-to-use fertili&er

that can be used at a higher rate of application than compost, since nutrients are

released at rates that growing plants prefer.

$ermicasting can be done on a small scale by homeowners with household

organic wastes, on a large-scale by farmers with manure or by the food industry

using organic wastes such as fruit and vegetable cull materials. hrough proper

design, vermicasting is a method of waste handling that0

is clean, socially acceptable, with little to no odour requires no energy input for aeration reduces the mass of waste by 5Q produces a valuable vermicast byproduct even generates worms as


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*arthworms should be allowed about 1 week to migrate from


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/ed wigglers can consume 8CQ of their body weight per day. *arthworms weigh

about 5.6 g and require o"ygen and water, both e"changed through their skin.

As organic matter passes through the earthworm gut, it is minerali&ed into

ammonium later nitri


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$in or eactor Design

he goal for any vermicasting system is to0

provide worms with a palatable feed have worms digest waste at the highest rate possible keep worms from migrating out of or to the edge of the windrows, raised

beds or bins &ig#re 42

aste must0

have the required p@ and salinity levels be moist but drained of e"cess water be neither too cold nor too hot be stacked in thin layers that diNuse air

Drainage and Aeration

or appropriate drainage and aeration, container walls, bottom and side

walls must be made of a perforated material. #any commercially available

vermicasting bins have a few holes at the bottom for drainage, but this is not

enough. A screen-type ;oor surface allows drainage, unlike common bedding

materials. A screen si&e of G mm CO6 in.2 will keep most waste particles in.

*arthworms will not fall through this si&e of hole but they can burrow

through this si&e of hole to get to fresh wastes if need be.

+ome commonly used bedding types are dense and can become

waterlogged, not allowing air to diNuse through the drainageOaeration holes in

the bin bottom. nstead, consider using a layer of


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aste materials should have a moisture content of 8CQ


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@owever, earthworms thrive in aerobic conditions, where fermentation and the

resulting heat and odours do not occur. f designed properly, vermicasters do not

produce odours.

hen a vermicaster does produce odours and ;ies, it is likely due to

e"cess water. )roper drainage using raised screen surfaces G mm2 at the bottom

of the container andOor reducing the thickness of the waste to no more than 5

cm should resolve this situation.

$atch S0stems

he system can be designed as batch or continuous ;ow. n a batch

system, the waste is inoculated with earthworms, which then process the entire

quantity of waste into vermicast. he casts are collected and separated from the

earthworms, ending the process.

n a continuous-;ow vermicaster, fresh waste is added at one end of the

process, while acent moving surfaces cause


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At Ray 1F, Bin 6 brown2 is placed on top of Bin 1. Bin 6 is partially


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placing fresh feed at the opposite end of the continuous ;ow system,attracting them away from the


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shallow pit and the right sort of worm is necessary. Lumbricus rubellus red

worm2 and Eisenia foetida are thermo-tolerant and so particularly useful. ield

worms Allolobophora caliginosa2 and night crawlers Lumbricus terrestris2 attack

organic matter from below but the latter do not thrive during active composting,

being killed more easily than the others at high temperature.

*uropean night crawlers (Dendrabaena veneta or Eisenia hortensis) are produced

commercially and have been used successfully in most climates. hese night

crawlers grow to about 15-65 cm. he African night crawler Eudrilus eugeniae2,

is a large, tropical worm species. t tolerates higher temperatures than Eisenia

foetida does, provided there is ample humidity. @owever, it has a narrow

temperature tolerance range, and it cannot survive at temperatures below 8 E%.

$ermicomposting is in use in many countries. *"periences from selected

countries are described as case studies.

Composting procedure

A series of pits the number depending on the space available2 were dug

appro"imately m T G m T 1 m deep, with sloping sides. Bamboo poles were

laid in a parallel row on the pit ;oor and covered with a lattice of wood strips.

his provided the necessary drainage as the worms could not have survived in a

waterlogged environment.

he pits were lined with old feedstuN sacks to prevent the worms from escaping

into the surrounding soil and yet permit drainage of e"cess water. he pits were

then


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he compost pits were left for a period of two months3 ideally such pits should be

shaded from hot sunshine and kept moist. ithin two months, about 15 kg of

castings had been produced per kilogram of worms. he pits were then

e"cavated to an e"tent of about two-thirds to three-quarters and the bulk of the

worms removed by hand or by sieving. his left suLcient worms in the pit for

further composting, and the pit was re


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aeration can be maintained by mi"ing

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SOLID WASTE.docx