Influence of earthworms on the behaviour of organic micropollutants in sewage sludge

The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentration of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and endocrine disrupting chemicals during vermicomposting of sewage sludge using Eisenia andrei and in earthworm tissues with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of earthworms to r...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of cleaner production Vol. 416; p. 137869
Main Authors Dume, Bayu, Hanč, Aleš, Švehla, Pavel, Michal, Pavel, Pospíšil, Vojtěch, Grasserová, Alena, Cajthaml, Tomáš, Chane, Abraham Demelash, Nigussie, Abebe
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2023
Subjects
Bio-waste
Eisenia andrei
Vermiaccumulation
Vermicompost
Vermidegradation
Vermicompost
Vermiaccumulation
Bio-waste
Eisenia andrei
Vermidegradation
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentration of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and endocrine disrupting chemicals during vermicomposting of sewage sludge using Eisenia andrei and in earthworm tissues with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of earthworms to remove these substances. The experiment was carried out for 120 days with and without earthworms in varying proportions of sewage sludge in a mixture with dried straw pellets at 100, 75, 50, and 25% (w/w) of sludge. The results revealed that the earthworms had the most significant removal efficiencies on triclosan (37%) and mirtazapine (14%). Venlafaxine (193%), triclosan (43%), and citalopram (37%), had the most earthworm influence efficiency of degradation. The maximum vermiaccumulation of caffeine (72%), carbamazepine (65%), cetirizine (32%), citalopram (16%), diclofenac (183%), and triclosan (118%) was obtained. Based on these findings, earthworms show great promise in removing monitored compounds from sewage sludge during vermicomposting. However, further research is needed to optimize the process for maximum removal efficiency and confirm this approach's effectiveness. [Display omitted] •The effect of earthworms in removing PPCPs and EDCs from sludge was evaluated.•A significant removal of diclofenac (DCF) (96%) and ibuprofen (100%) was obtained.•Earthworms had the most significant removal efficiency on triclosan (TCS) by (37%).•A significant vermiaccumulation was observed for DCF, TCS and caffeine (CAF).
ISSN:0959-6526
1879-1786
DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137869