Effects of Salinity on Earthworms and the Product During Vermicomposting of Kitchen Wastes

Zexuan Wu, Bangyi Yin, Xu Song, Jiangping Qiu, Linkui Cao and Qi Zhao
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Zexuan Wu: School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Bangyi Yin: School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Xu Song: School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Jiangping Qiu: School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Linkui Cao: School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Qi Zhao: School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 23, 1-12

Abstract: Population growth and social changes have recently contributed to an exaggerated increase in kitchen wastes in China. Vermicomposting has recently been recognized as an effective and eco-friendly method of organic waste treatment through the combination of earthworms and microbes. However, the influence of salt in kitchen wastes on vermicomposting have been unknown. The goal of this study was to analyze the influence of different salinities on earthworms ( Eisenia fetida ) and the products during the vermicomposting of kitchen wastes. In our research, kitchen wastes were divided into four different salinities: 0% (A), 0.1% (B), 0.2% (C) and 0.3% (D). The chemical characters of substrates and earthworm growth were measured on the 14th day and the 28th day of composting. Our results show that the high salinity (measured >0.2%) prevented earthworms from properly growing and had negative effects on quality of products in composting. T2 (measured salinity = 0.2%) had the highest average body weight, nitrate nitrogen, and available phosphorus. Thus, the salinity of kitchen wastes should be pretreated to less than 0.2% before vermicomposting.

Keywords: environmental; vermicomposting; kitchen wastes; salinity; health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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