Vermicomposting: An Eco-Friendly Option for Fermentation and Dye Decolourization Waste Disposal

摘要

By-products of various industrial fermentations can be good adsorbents for removing hazardous dyes from wastewater. However, after biosorption, regeneration of biomass is essential to minimize the solid waste generation or else the dye laden biomass should be suitably disposed off. In the present work, experiments were conducted on the Acid Navy Blue and Methylene Blue dyes which were biosorbed to the fungal biomass (strain closely related to Aspergillus lentulus) produced on corncob as the substrate through solid state fermentation. In order to dispose the dye laden biomass, it was vermicomposted along with cow dung (CD) employing Eisenia fetida. Results indicated that the dye laden biomass was not lethal toward the earthworms as no mortality was observed. However, as compared with control experiments (where dye laden biomass was absent), the reproductive potential of the earthworms was affected. Nevertheless, further investigations on optimization of biomass and CD ratios can facilitate vermicomposting as a potential route for disposing dye laden biomass.