Mercury and Lead Accumulation by Eudrilus eugeniae in Soils Amended with Vermicompost

Author: Priyanka Sahu and Sunita Sharma

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Abstract

The focus of the present study was to determine the accumulation capacity of heavy metals by Eudrilus eugeniae in soils amended with vermicompost. Garden waste, kitchen waste and cow dung were subjected to recycle through vermicomposting by using the epigeic earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae. Lead was mixed in soil and cow dung mixture at 0.99, 0.199, 0.298, 0.398 and 0.498 gm/kg and Mercury was mixed at concentration 0.99, 0.199, 0.299, 0.399 and 0.499 gm/kg of mercury concentrations respectively. It was concluded that despite low availability, earthworms in soils amended with vermicompost contain elevated concentrations of lead and mercury which can help in reducing the concentrations of heavy metals from soil. This is a useful indication to incorporate earthworms in agricultural ecosystems that are prone to heavy metals.

Keywords

earthworms, soil, heavy metals, agriculture

Conclusion

The focus of the present study was to determine the accumulation capacity of heavy metals by Eudrilus eugeniae in soils amended with vermicompost. Garden waste, kitchen waste and cow dung were subjected to recycle through vermicomposting by using the epigeic earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae. Lead was mixed in soil and cow dung mixture at 0.99, 0.199, 0.298, 0.398 and 0.498 gm/kg and Mercury was mixed at concentration 0.99, 0.199, 0.299, 0.399 and 0.499 gm/kg of mercury concentrations respectively. It was concluded that despite low availability, earthworms in soils amended with vermicompost contain elevated concentrations of lead and mercury which can help in reducing the concentrations of heavy metals from soil. This is a useful indication to incorporate earthworms in agricultural ecosystems that are prone to heavy metals.

References

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How to cite this article

Priyanka Sahu and Sunita Sharma (2016). Mercury and Lead Accumulation by Eudrilus eugeniae in Soils Amended with Vermicompost , Biological Forum – An International Journal 8(1): 565-569.