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Dr. Kari Jabbour, Ph.D Er. R. Bhuvanewari Devi M.Tech, MCIHT

Curriculum Developer, Highway Engineer, Infrastructure,
American College of Technology, Ramboll, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Missouri, USA.
Sanda Maican, Ph.D.
Er.Chandramohan, M.S Senior Researcher,
System Specialist - OGP Department of Ecology, Taxonomy and Nature Conservation
ABB Australia Pvt. Ltd., Australia. Institute of Biology of the Romanian Academy,
Bucharest, ROMANIA
Dr. S.K. Singh
Chief Scientist Dr.Damarla Bala Venkata Ramana
Advanced Materials Technology Department Senior Scientist
Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA)
Bhubaneswar, India Hyderabad, A.P, India

PROF.Dr. Sharath Babu,LLM Ph.D PROF.Dr.S.V.Kshirsagar,M.B.B.S, M.S

Dean. Faculty Of Law, Head - Department of Anatomy,
Karnatak University Dharwad, Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences,
Karnataka, India Karnataka, India.

DR ASIFA NAZIR, M.B.B.S, MD

Dr.SM Kadri, MBBS,MPH/ICHD, Assistant Professor Dept of Microbiology
FFP Fellow, Public Health Foundation of India Government Medical College, Srinagar, India.
Epidemiologist Division of Epidemiology and Public Health,
Kashmir, India
Dr.AmitaPuri, Ph.D
Dr.Bhumika Talwar, BDS Officiating Principal
Research Officer Army Inst. Of Education
State Institute of Health & Family Welfare New Delhi, India
Jaipur, India
Dr. Shobana Nelasco Ph.D
Dr. Tej Pratap Mall Ph.D Associate Professor,
Head, Postgraduate Department of Botany, Fellow of Indian Council of Social Science
Kisan P.G. College, Bahraich, India. Research (On Deputation},
Department of Economics,
Dr. Arup Kanti Konar, Ph.D Bharathidasan University, Trichirappalli. India
Associate Professor of Economics Achhruram,
Memorial College, M. Suresh Kumar, PHD
SKB University, Jhalda,Purulia, Assistant Manager,
West Bengal. India Godrej Security Solution,
India.
Dr. S.Raja Ph.D
Research Associate, Dr.T.Chandrasekarayya,Ph.D
Madras Research Center of CMFR , Assistant Professor,
Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Dept Of Population Studies & Social Work,
Chennai, India S.V.University, Tirupati, India.

Dr. Vijay Pithadia, Ph.D,

Director - Sri Aurobindo Institute of Management
Rajkot, India.
JIARM VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 (APRIL 2013) ISSN : 2320 – 5083

VERMICULTURE FOR THE TREATMENT OF DIARY

EFFLUENTS
A.MERLY XAVIER*
A.LOGESWARI**
S.MANO***
DR.M.THIRUMARIMURUGAN****
DR.T.KANNADASAN*****
*Student, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
**Student, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
***Student, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
****Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore,
Tamilnadu, India
*****Head of the Department, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore,
Tamilnadu, India

ABSTRACT
Vermifiltration is emerging as a new low cost sustainable technology for
liquid waste treatment. In this technology Earthworm body works as a biofilter and
they have been found to remove the BOD by over 85%,COD by 80% ,Total
suspended solids(TSS) by 85-90% from dairy effluent by the general mechanism of
‘ingestion’ and biodegradation of organic wastes, heavy metals and solids from waste
water and also by their ‘adsorption’ through body walls. Earthworms grind the slit and
sand particles, increasing the total specific surface area, which enhances the ability to
adsorb the organic and inorganic matter from the waste water. Intensification of soil
processes and aeration by the earthworms enable the soil stabilization and filtration
system to become effective and smaller in size. There is no sludge formation in the
process which requires additional expenditure on landfill disposal. This is also an
odour free process and the resulting vermifiltered water is clean and disinfected
enough to be reused for irrigation and in parks and gardens.

INTRODUCTION
The waste water from dairy industry carries high amount of organic matter
referred as BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)
and solids both dissolved and suspended solids. Dairy Industry generate large amount
of white highly turbid liquid waste products which contain very high organic matter
that may be in dissolved or colloidal form and thus very high in BOD and total solids.
Typical process waste water generated in dairy industry has BOD of about of 2000
mg/L and dissolved solid concentration of 1800 mg/L. The waste water has to be

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treated to reduce the organic loads before discharging into the environment (rivers or
oceans) or else the aerobic bacteria there will consume more dissolved oxygen(DO)
from the river or ocean water to decompose this organic materials thereby depleting
the DO values. This would seriously affect the survival of all aquatic organisms in the
rivers and oceans. Vermicomposting technology is one of the best options available
for the treatment of organics-rich solid wastes. The term vermicomposting is coined
from the Latin word ‘Vermis’ meaning to the ‘worms’. Vermicomposting refers to
composting or natural conversion of biodegradable garbage into high quality manure
with the help of earthworms.[1]The earthworms have over 600 million years of
experience in waste and environmental management. No wonder then,Charles Darwin
called them as the ‘unheralded soldiers of mankind,’ and the Greek philosopher
Aristotle called themas the ‘intestine of earth,’ meaning digesting a wide varietyof
organic materials including the waste organics, from earth.[2]Earthworms have over
600 million years of experience as “ecosystem engineers”. Vermiculture scientists all
over the world knew about the role of earthworms as “waste managers”, as “soil
managers & fertility improvers” and “plant growth promoters” for long time. But
some comparatively “new discoveries” about their role in “wastewater treatment”,
“contaminated soil remediation”.Earthworms which ingested TCDD contaminated
soils were shown to bio-accumulate dioxin in their tissues and concentrate it on
average 14.5 fold [3].
Vermifiltration
Vermifiltration of wastewater using waste eater earthworms is a newly
conceived novel technology with several advantages over the conventional systems.
Earthworms body work as a “biofilter” and they have been found to remove the 5
days biological oxygen demand (BOD5) by over 90%, chemical oxygen demand
(COD) by 80-90%, total dissolved solids (TDS) by 90-92% and the total suspended
solids (TSS) by 90-95% from waste- water by the general mechanism of “ingestion”
and bio degradation of organic wastes and also by their “adsorption” through body
walls. Suspended solids are trapped on top of the vermifilter and processed by
earthworms and fed to the soil microbes immobilized in the vermifilter. Worms also
remove chemicals including heavy metals and pathogens from treated wastewater and
the treated water becomes fit for “reuse” in non-potable purposes [9].

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Materials and Methods

Experimental setup for vermifilter:

The study was carried out in vermifilter kit containing gravel with the layer of
black cotton soil on top. This forms the vermifilter bed, as shown figure.

`Fig. 1 Vermifilter bed for filtration of waste water and its treatment

Gravels of 10mm Gravels of 20 mm

Fig. 2 Different sizes of gravels in Vermifilter Bed

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Eisenia fetida
Fig. 3 Vermikit with earthworms

Fig 1. Shows different layer used in vermifilter. It has provision to collect filtered
water at the bottom in a collection chamber which opens out through a pipe fitted with
tap. The bottom most layer is made of gravel aggregate of size 20mm and it fills up to
the depth of 10cm. Above this lies the aggregate of10mm size filling up to depth of
15cm.On the top of 10mm aggregate, sand passing through 2.36mm I.S.Sieves were
filled up to depth of another 15cm.The top most layer of soil mixed with cow dung in
1:3 proportion were placed at the top of sand upto depth of 30cm in which the
earthworms are released.
Experimental method used in vermifilter and non-vermifilter
Dairy Waste Water was collected from “Aavin Dairy Industry” and from that 4 litre of
waste water is kept in calibrated 12 litre capacity plastic drum. These drum were kept
on an elevated platform just near the vermifilter. The drum has tap at the bottom to
which an irrigation system is attached .The dairy waste water distribution system
consist of simple 0.5 inch flexible rubber pipe with holes for tricking water that
allowed uniform distribution of dairy waste water on soil surface. Dairy waste water
from drum flowed through the perforated flexible rubber pipe by gravity. The dairy
waste water percolated through various layers in the vermifiler bed passing through
the soil layer inhabited by earthworms, the sand layer and the gravels and at the end is
collected in a chamber at the bottom of the kit. Same day this treated water from both
kits were collected and analyzed for BOD, COD ,suspended solids and total dissolved
solids.

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Experimental Results
Determination of BOD
Before Incubation
Volume of Na2S2O3 required for effluent treatment =56ml
Volume of Na2S2O3 required for effluent treated with earthworms =42ml
Volume of Na2S2O3 required for effluent treated without earthworms =39ml
After Incubation
Volume of Na2S2O3 required for effluent treatment =14ml
Volume of Na2S2O3 required for effluent treated with earthworms =34.81ml
Volume of Na2S2O3 required for effluent treated without earthworms=25.5ml

BOD as mg/L = 16(V1 - V2)

where
V1 = ml of Na2S2O3 used for the sample before incubation.
V2 = ml of Na2S2O3 used for the sample after incubation.
Case i) BOD Level in Sample = (56-14)*16 = 672 mg/L
Case ii) BOD Level in T1 = (42-34.81)*16 = 115mg/L
Case iii) BOD Level in T2 = (39-25.56)*16 = 215mg/L
Determination of Chemical Oxygen Demand
Experimental Results
Determination of COD
Blank Titration (with distilled water) V1 = 38.2 ml
Volume of FAS required for dairy effluent before treatment = 20.95 ml
Volume of FAS required for dairy effluent with earthworm = 32.163 ml
Volume of FAS required for dairy effluent without earthworm=23.54 ml

(Blank-Sample)*N*8000
Case i) COD =
X

(38.2-20.95)*0.05*8000
= = 1380 mg/L
5

(38.2-32.163)*0.05*8000
Case ii) COD = = 482.96 mg/L

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(38.2-23.45)*0.05*8000
Case iii) COD = = 1172.8 mg/L
5

TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS:

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Fig.9 Appearance of effluent before and after treatment

Bottle A – turbid dairy effluent

Bottle B – treated dairy effluent without earthworms
Bottle C – treated dairy effluent with earthworms

Determination of Biological Oxygen Demand

Initial BOD present in Dairy Effluent = 672 mg/L
Effluent when treated with earthworms = 115 mg/L (83% removed)
Effluent when treated without earthworms = 215.04 mg/L (68% removed)

S1-Effluent
T1-Treatment with worms
T2-Treatment without
worms
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Fig.10
Level of
BOD VS
Treatmen
ts

T1-Treatment with worms

T2-Treatment without
worms

Fig.11 %Reduction of BOD VS Treatments

Determination of Chemical Oxygen Demand

Initial COD present in Dairy Effluent = 1380 mg/L
Effluent when treated with earthworms = 483 mg/L (65% removed)
Effluent when treated without earthworms = 1173 mg/L (15% removed)

S1-Effluent
T1-Treatment with worms
T2-Treatment without worms

Fig.12 Level of COD VS Treatments

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T1-Treatment with worms

T2-Treatment without
worms

Fig.13 %Reduction of COD VS Treatments

Determination of Total Suspended Solids
Initial TSS present in Dairy Effluent = 560 mg/L
Effluent when treated with earthworms = 84 mg/L (85% removed)
Effluent when treated without earthworms = 123 mg/L (78% removed)

S1-Effluent
T1-Treatment with worms
T2-Treatment without worms

Fig.14 Level of TSS VS Treatments

T1-Treatment with worms

T2-Treatment without worms

Fig.15 %Reduction of TSS VS Treatments

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Vermifiltration is a logical extension of ‘soil filteration’. Healthy soil is a bio-
geological medium acting as an ‘adsorbent’ of organics, inorganic, pathogens and
parasites. The technology can be used a most cost effective and odour free process for
dairy waste water treatment with efficiency and convenience. Any non-toxic waste
water from the industries can be successfully treated by the earthworms and the
technology can be designed to suit a particular wastewater. It can treat dilute as well
as concentrated waste water. Vermifiltration technology by earthworms excels all
other ‘bio-conversion’, ‘bio-treatment’ and ‘bio-degradation’. In vermifilter dairy
waste water percolate from soil bed in vermifilter and while it was constantly
chocking observed in non-vermifilter. It also keeps the system fully aerated with
plenty of oxygen available to aerobic decomposer micsrobes. Vermifilteration process
driven by earthworms tends to become more robust and efficient with time as the
army of degrader worms grows, proliferating further several battalions of microbial
army. 85-90% BOD, 75-80%COD, 85-90%TSS removal efficiencies were found to
be significant in vermifilter bed when compared with non-vermifiltration process.
Most appropriation for optimal removal of BOD, COD and TSS from the given
sample of dairy waste with 500 gms of worms to initiate the vermi- process appears to
be between 6 to 10 hour. Further investigations can be carried out by increasing the
population of worms in order to achieve still more efficiency in the values of BOD,
COD, TSS at lower time. From the experimental data it was found that vermifilter is
more efficient than non-vermifilter in efficiency of removal of BOD,COD as well as
Suspended solids.
APPENDIX
Determination of Biological Oxygen Demand

BOD as mg/L = 16(V1 - V2)

BOD as mg/L = 16(V1 - V2)
where
V1 = ml of Na2S2O3 used for the sample before incubation.
V2 = ml of Na2S2O3 used for the sample after incubation.
Case i) BOD Level In Sample = (56-14)*16 = 672 mg/L
Case ii) BOD Level In T1 = (42-34.81)*16 = 115mg/L

Case iii) BOD Level In T 2 = (39-25.56)*16 = 215mg/L

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Determination of Chemical Oxygen Demand

COD as mg/L = (V1-V2)*N*8000

X
Where,
V1 =Blank titre value
V2 =Sample titre value
N =Normality of Ferrous Ammoniun Sulphate
X = Volume of sample
Blank Titration (with distilled water) V1 = 38.2 ml
Volume of FAS required for dairy effluent before treatment = 20.95 ml
Volume of FAS required for dairy effluent with earthworm = 32.163 ml
Volume of FAS required for dairy effluent without earthworm = 23.54 ml

(Blank-Sample)*N*8000
Case i) COD =
X

(38.2-20.95)*0.05*8000
= = 1380 mg/L
5

(38.2-32.163)*0.05*8000
Case ii) COD = = 482.96 mg/L
5

(38.2-23.45)*0.05*8000
Case iii) COD = = 1172.8 mg/L
5

Determination of Total Suspended Solids

TSS = (Wt-Wi)*1000/Vs
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Where

Wt- final weight of the filter paper

Wi-initial weight of the filter paper

Vs-volume of sample used

CALCULATION

Case i) TSS Level In Sample = (3.75-.95)*1000/5 = 560 mg/L

Case ii)TSS Level In T1 = (1.39-.97)*1000/5 = 84 mg/L

Case iii)TSS Level In T2 = (1.575-.96)*1000/5 = 123 mg/L

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