‘current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry 4 (2021) 100061 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry journal homepage: ww. slsovier comjournals! ‘currentresearch-in-green-and-sustainable:chemistry/2668-0865 Vermifiltration as a natural, sustainable and green technology for environmental remediation: A new paradigm for wastewater treatment process to Sudipti Arora®”, Sakshi Saraswat” 1a si of acy Maloy nial Are Mabie Nap Jor 02017. nk * eof amen! nl cpl Hah Sc, Sho of Mein, Nana Yang Ming bers, aan ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT own ‘Wastewater cae and eas Is one ofthe most promising effort stem lol water xs With dhe present ear shift towards sustainable development as a roi the wastewater companies should respond o this require ment To downturn, the negative impact of anthropogenic atvts, advanced gren technologies (AGTS) are beng practiced. AGT refer to a group of natural, green technologies tht includes practical methodologies and materials based on no-toxie heel process, clean energies, at environmental monitoring to slow down the reget impact induced by heman actives. The main motive of green teeologes i 10 provide igh end results without compromising on environmental ssainablity. Among al the existing options green technology ‘ich ar vemifitaton ithe natural & stainable cic. Verifitration fea extension ofthe vemicomposting proces. It sa bioiter with earthworms, where the earthworms digest the suspended partes screened onthe fier bed, and degrade organic mater through enzymatic activity, and in the proce of igen; hey pasiely sera the system by burrowing action and removes paogens. In this context, the present graphic review fisaes the current state of the echricl knowledge Of the vermifilration proces, actors esi the process Su performance uf verifies under diferent scenario related 1 the Iretment mechanisms at elfeive Spplleations and advantages ofthe technology This technology ia stand-alone technology roiding tremendous ene suchas decentralized solution and high vale end pees like vermicompat and ean be considered 35.4 ew paradlga for wastewater weament proces 1. Introduction bbe a potential resource. A variety of centralised and decentralized ‘wastewater treatment technologies exists and is under implementation ‘According to the UN World Water Development Report 2020, water for the treatment and mutrents recovery. The eapital cost, and operation use has increased six-fold over the past century and is rising by about 1% and maintenance costs of centralised wastewater treatment facilities like 2 year. However, it is estimated that climate change, along with the activated shudge process, trickling filter, aerated lagoon, ozone oxidation, increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events - storms, ood and droughts, will worsen the situation in developing nations which are already experiencing ‘water stress’ and may generat parallel problems inegions that have not been severely affected. Water quality issaid to be affected by increased water temperatures and a decrease in dissolved ‘oxygen. This wil, in turn, deteriorate the marine life and wil result in Joss oftheir habitat by phenomenon lke eutrophication. To deal with the problem of water searety, the treatment of wastewater is considered asa possible altemative. Wastewater acts as a source of various valuable nutrients suchas nitrogen and phosphorus and if treated propery, it can Nlatation and sedimentation ae high as compared to decentralized fa cites due to huge setup for machineries. These treatment facilites are ‘generally divided into primary, secondary and tertiary treatment di visions. Fig. 1 desribes a typical wastewater treatment process which includes preliminary screening (with mechanical grits) to exclude large Noting material, followed by bars, fine sereens, to remove grit. This is Followed by the primary treatment that involves the settlement and sedimentation of fine solids resulting in the removal of suspended ‘organie solid content from the water by 50%. Oxidation and biodegra dation Is the fundamental basis of biologeal wastewater treatment. * Comespoding author Dr. Ia Instat of Biotechnology, OF, Malvya Industrial Are, Maia Nagar, Jp, 02017, Inds. Bimal eies Sparoraegnaicom (Arora). Jngp//diorg/10.1016/ erg. 2021.100061 Received 31 October 2020; Received in revised form 22 December 2020; Accepted 22 January 2021 ‘Aailabe online 27 Janoary 2021, 2666.0865/0 2021 The Authors. Published by Hever BV. This fn open acces rile andr the OC BY Hens (p//crentivesommons.ry/isenss/by/8.07.5 Arr SS eee Resch in ier od Sutin Chir 4221) 100081 nm (%) = — @ | > Primary ‘Screen co ba secontay i oe on Tank oma No need of additional T lari or aerator ‘Supporting Layer T ‘Treatment Chlorination dlsinfection unt Chiorinaion'uy ddsinfection unit Fig. 1. Schematic digram ofa typi sewage teatment proces as compared to a vermiilation treatment proces Fig. 2 Schema representation slong with design parameters of «venir untret Resch in Gren end Sutin Chem 422} 100061 € ‘sina oy | Fig. 3. Mechanism involved in the treatment of wastewater through vemftation technology. ‘Aerobic bacteria, sustaining inthe optimized conditions, are responsible for the significant reduction of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ‘chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen and ammonia (NH4-) levels, {nthe effluent. This is the main biological aspect ofthe proces and in- volves the two essentially linked steps of inital bio-procesing and the ubeequent removal of solide due to enhanced biological activity. The high concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) lead to euto- Dhication of waterways, Therefore, to achieve an effective reduction, the tefluent after the secondary treatment is passed toa tertiary treatment luni. In most cases, tetany treatment is required as an advanced final ‘step to remove trace organics, remove high nstrent loads orto disinfect ‘effluent, which ads significa to the cost of wastewater treatment. At the end of the process, the treated water may be suitable for reuse but there ean be difficulty in finding suitable outlets forthe concentrated sludge produced. Sludge management is another issue, requiring a separate treatment unit. Furthermore, centralised wastewater treatment als contributes to climate change ait generates greenhouse gases which ‘account for an estimated 39-79 ofall emissions It isnot suitable in ‘areas with low popilation densities and dispersed households, expecially in rural and filly areas. In the face of these challenges, innovative ‘wastewater treatment and management interventions are being focused ‘upon, The new tend is inclined towards advanced green technologies (AGTS) such as decentralized, natural, green & sustainable onsite ‘wostment systems where there is Scope for flexibility in management ‘and simplicity in operation. Ic is presumed that by adaptation of decen alized wastewater treatment technologies, reliable and effective long term solutions ean be intreduced, Major decentralized technologies inchide membrane filtration, microbial fuel cells, nanotechnology, evelopment of biological treatments and natural treatment systems such, ‘as wetlands an vermifilters, ‘Among all other AGTS, vermifitation technology is one such inno- vative and emerging green technology which incorporates earthworms, inside a biofiter which helps in removing the contaminants especially ‘organics and pathogens with the help of indigenous microorganisms. ‘Vermifitration technology encompasses all forms of treatment, i. pri ‘mary (removal of grit, silt, et), secondary (biological degradation and, ‘and tertiary (nutrients recovery) treatment techncl- ‘gy into one unit. Iris a compact biological wastewater treatment system. ‘compared to other conventional systems (Fig. 1). Vemifitration re sults in useful end products: treated effluent for reuse purposes and -vermicompost. This vermicompost can be used in agricultural felts a5 ‘organic manure, Moreover, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were reported to be declined by 10% more in vermifiters compared to act: vated sludge systems; NII/"N was also removed three times more in vermifiers 2. Design of a vermifiter ‘The schematic diagram ofa typical vermifilter is described in Fig. 2. ‘The successful design and operation ofthe vermifilter are very erucial © achieve efficient treatment performance in this technology. The eff ‘iency of any biological system is greatly influenced by the flow rate of ‘wastewater, which needs to be optimized. The optimal design of HLR (Hydraulic Loading Rate) and HRT (Hydraulic Retention Time) plays a key role in maintaining high removal efficiency ina vermifilter. HRT is ‘the time of interaction of wastewater with the filter media in which ‘earthworms reside, whereas HL isthe rate of application of wastewater 1 the unit stea of vermibed for unit time. An appropriate microbial community can only be established in the vermifiter when adequate contact time is offered by providing longer HRT. Higher HLR reduces the contact time for the biochemical reactions involved in the treatment rocess. Both these parameters are dependent on the area, volume ofthe ‘ler media bed and porosity of filter media layer. Thus, HLR and HRT ‘are caleulated based on the size ofthe treatment system and may range2016 misey & Ree Fig. 4. Applications of vei benseen 2.5 and of HRT and 1.5-2.5m? a 24° of HLR, depending con the vermifiter dimensions ‘Other design parameters ince stocking density, health and mat ration conitons of earthworms. Stocking dens referst the population ‘of worms applied tothe bed. Theres always need to maintain optim earthworm concentration, a low density of earworm may nt stimu late and enhance microbial activites effectively. Moreover, earthworms those ae bigger in sie can treat more elictenty compared othe mallet ‘one due other voracious eating habits The optimum stocking density les been 15,00 ane 20,000 worms/m. Certain environmental con sltions sch as pt, Temperature, ammonia and sodium, may afect the tarthworm’s survival and the Weatment perfomance of wastewater. Eanhworssurvivebestat the plrangeof62-9. They arepiklothermic ‘nature thus thir body temperate significantly associated with the ‘outside temperature. 25-27 "Cis the optimum temperature ange forthe ‘sectivity, growth and reproduction of epigenic earthworm species. From Several studies, itis observed that the earthworms that are capable of ‘weating wastewater a higher moisture levels are seni eid, Peron sansBaricus,Lairius rel, Burs eugenae and lela horns Earthworm also need a suitable dwelling habitat ro thrive upon and perform ts aetvty and fanetons softer media or earthworm beings ‘nother vital design parameter. Bor designing the Kea! filter medi, slfferent materials have been wtlized sich ae river bed graves snd, ‘cobblestone glas beads and quart sand The characteris of his fer ‘media layer asin lvencetheestablshmentofmirobialbioflimsand the ‘microbial community stractre within the complex vemi-ecoystems, 35 ‘wll as, on the treatment performance. Filer bed media asp aes the ‘etetion of wastewater and hydra conductivity. The operatianal and ‘environmental conditions play avery important role in vermifitration Drocess,Itmay be necessary to operate vermifiter in presence of high ‘moisture and sometimes under waterlogged conditions. Roc taacors & Sosa [Sem isatnmtn 6 tml str mt 0 a BEES ae B Reem sh OY peace © mea Saco & ieee cha genie oO ele eames CEST, Sl Sea © © sett a 2 gash 2 ss & n technology fr various kindof wastewater treatment over the past decade (10-25). 3, Mechanisms ‘Vermifitvation i an extension of soil filtration or a bofiter with ‘earthworms to speed up the decomposition processes to atilize organics to produce fresh manure which can be utlzed in agriculture to support healthy plant production. Wastewater passes through the ative layer, ‘where the organic matter is converted into humus enriched vermicom- ost by the earthworms. Ths is followed by the filtration through fer ‘media. Filter media supports the growth of microorganisms and subse ‘quently, secondary treatment occurs. The grinding activity ofthe earth ‘worms helps in inereasing the total specific surface area present in the filter media, enabling higher absorption of the organic and inorganic ‘contaminants from the wactewater. Dissolved and suspended particles are trapped in the filter media a5 they percolate and are stabilized ‘through complex bioprocesses that take place in the active layer. Dis solved components of wastewater move futher down in the profiles, adsorbed int the surface matrix of media and are degraded by symbiotic ‘action of earthvroums released enzymes and microbes, The vermifiter ‘oes not clog because earthworms improve aeration by the burrowing, ‘action and accelerate mierobial aetvity by inereasing the population of soll microorganisms, thus inrease speedy utilization of absorbed or: xganis. This symbiotic and synergetic activity of earthworms and ‘microorganism also change the physicochemical properties of the ‘wastewater This treatment mechanism is expliily described in Fig. 3 4. Applications ‘The vermifitration technology has been applied as an environmental friendly technique for the treatment of a wide range of wastewater ef ‘ents a described in ig. 4 [1]. Found thatthe removal efficiency of ‘biochemical axygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD)ADVANTAGES OF VERMIFILTRATION TECHNOLOGY Fig. 5. Advantages of verifitration technology for domestic wastewater, within the vermiiter were 92% and 7496 as compared to a geofiter where it was observed to be 74% and 68% respectively. A report focusing on the seasonal effects on vermifilation stated that higher BOD and COD removal was accomplished during spring and autumn seasons. Additionally, during summer, the indicator Dacteria removal was found to be 99.0%, Salmonella reduction by 96.9% and E.coli by 99.3% [2]. In a study conducted by Ref. (3) for urban ‘wastewater, treatment efficiencies for BODs, COD, total suspended solids (SS) and NI were found to be 91.2%, 87.6%, 98.4% and 76.5% respectively. It was coneluded that earthworms contributed to reduce [NEY and total nitrogen romoval and inerease NO concentration in the ‘weated effluent. Lately, the traditional vemifiters have boen integrated ‘with other technologies for obtaining better removal and performance cficaies [4]. Analysed the potential of vermifiltration fr the combined ‘weatment of wastewater and organic faction of municipal solid waste (OPMSW), OFMSW was placed as a top layer over the Mer media and ‘earthworms were found to convert it into organic manure [5]. Designed a ‘ower vermifer system by the addition of one anaerobic bofiter for bre-teatment, followed by two stages of vermifiters. They discovered that this was a versatile system that ould work elective under a va riety of natural and socioeconomic conditions at a reasonable cost. Ver- _mifiters have abo been attested to plants like Carex frank (6), Cyprus rotudus (7) and Canna indica (8). 1 was found that plants and earth ‘worms together play a vital role inthe enhancement of the nutrient ‘removal efficacies and overall performance efficiency ofthe system. The celfect of treated eluent on lium cepa was investigated by Ref. [2] and ‘they found thatthe tested eluent was safe tobe used for irrigation and agricultural practices. Recently, this technology has also been extended, {or the treatment of hospital and clinical laboratory wastewaters. 5. Advantages The advantages of vermifitration technology include cost effectiveness, socially acceptable, odour free technology with high- performance efficacy as described in Fig. 8 6. Conclusions ‘Vermifitration coupled with other technologies have been thor- ‘oughly researched upon, especially in the past two decades as the need for water rewse and wastewater treatment is increasing in line with imate change. Earthworms change the properties of bioflm present in the active layer by their burrowing activity and ingestion. They aso help, in the degradation of organic matter by symbiotic and synergistic in- ‘teractions withthe indigenous microbes. It has been succesfully applied forthe treatment of municipal and industrial sewage. Some recent studies also point towards its wort fr treating hospital and clinical laboratory ‘wastewater. Taking into account the pro-environmental polities world ‘wide, it may be considered an interesting eeinnovation in wastewater ‘weatment. If applied on a full sale, vermifiltation technology would Ihlp society reach the triple bottom line of sustainability: good for the environment, ood for the economy, and good forthe people. ‘CRediT authorship contribution statement Suipti Arorac(Corresponding author): Conceptuaization, invest gation, resourees, manuscript review and editing, corresponding author. Sakshi Saraswat: Data analysis, Writing. -original draft of manuscript. Declaration of competing interest ‘The authors declare that they have no known competing financial Interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence ‘the work reported in this paper. 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