Can earthworms de-clog sand filters?

• Autorzy: Spychala M. , Pilc L.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Two species of earthworms, Lumbricus terrestris and Eisenia fetida, were used to de-clog sand filters purifying domestic sewage. The experimental set-up consisted of 6 filtration columns (4 research filters and 2 control filters) filled with fine sand (d₆₀=0.2 mm, d₁₀=0.1 mm). The sewage parameters at inflow to the filters were typical of the septic tank effluent. The filters were fed about 5.5 dm³/day at average doses of 31 cm/d. The TSS cumulative loading after three months was equal to 931.9 g/m². At the start of filter operating the average outflow of filters was equal to 105.6 cm³/min; at the end (except for filter Nos. 2 and 6) it was 0.3 cm³/min per filter and the clogging was achieved. A significant increase in outflow rates was observed two weeks after the application of worms, and it was equal to 94.7±2.9 cm³/min on average (average value for control filters: 7.1±0.8). The content of organic matter in the clogging layer of filters 4 and 5 was equal to 9.6±0.5 mg of dry mass per 1 g of sand, on average, and was significantly lower than the content of organic matter in the clogging layer of control filters (28.2±1.0 mg dry mass per 1 g of sand). There was no difference between control and research filter treatment efficiency (COD and NH₄-N). Four months after the worm application, the increase in average outflow from research filters was still observed, thus the de-clogging effect had been observed as long as the worms were alive.

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
• Rocznik: 2011
• Tom: 20
• Numer: 4
• Opis fizyczny: p.1037-1041,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Spychala M.

• Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Chair of Water and Wastewater Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94A, 60-649 Poznań, Poland

autor

Pilc L.

• Collegium Polonicum, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Kościuszki 1, 69-100 Słubice, Poland

Bibliografia

• 1. CLARKE W.P., TAYLOR M., COSSINS R. Evaluation by respirometry of the loading capacity of a high rate vermicompost bed for treating sewage sludge. Biores. Tech. 98, 2611, 2007.
• 2. HENDRICKX T.L.G., TEMMINK H., ELISSEN H.J.H., BUISMAN C.J.N. The effect of operating conditions on aquatic worms eating waste sludge. Wat. Res. 43, 943, 2009.
• 3. SUTHAR S., SINGH S. Comparison of some novel polyculture and traditional monoculture vermicomposting reactors to decompose organic wastes. Ecol. Eng. 33, 210, 2008.
• 4. TAYLOR M., CLARKE W.P., GREENFIELD P.F. The treatment of domestic wastewater using small-scale vermicompost filter beds. Ecol. Eng. 21, 197, 2003.
• 5. RATSAK CH.H, VERKUIJLEN J. Sludge reduction by predatory activity of aquatic oligochaetes in wastewater treatment plants: science or fiction? A review. Hydrobiologia 564, 197, 2006.
• 6. CHIARAWATCHAI N., NUENGJAMNONG CH., RACHDAWONG P., OTTERPOHL R. Potential study of using earthworm as an enhancement to treat high strength wastewater. Thai J. Vet. Med. 37, (4), 25, 2007.
• 7. CHIARAWATCHAI N., NUENGJAMNONG CH. The use of earthworms in lab-scale Constructed wetlands to treat swine wastewater. Thai J. Vet. Med. 39, (2), 157, 2009.
• 8. ELISSEN H.J.H., HENDRICKX T.L.G., TEMMINK H., BUISMAN C.J.N. A new reactor concept for sludge reduction using aquatic worms. Wat. Res. 40, 3713, 2006.
• 9. BESSER J.M., INGERSOLL C.G., LEONARD E.N., MOUNT D.R. Effect of zeolite on toxicity of ammonia in freshwater sediments: implications for toxicity identification evaluation procedures. Env. Tox. Chem. 17, (11), 2310, 1998.
• 10. HERMANOWICZ W., DOJLIDO J., DOŻAŃSKA W., KOZIOROWSKI B., ZERBE J. Physical and chemical water and wastewater analyses. Arkady, Warsaw, Poland, pp. 482-484, 1999 [In Polish].
• 11. KORSCHELT E. On the transplantation experiments, numbness and life-span of Lumbricidae. Zoolog. Anzeig. 43, 537, 1914 [In German].
• 12. SPYCHAŁA M., BŁAŻEJEWSKI R. Sand filter clogging by septic tank effluent. Wat. Sci. Tech. 48, (11), 153, 2003.
• 13. DARBY J., TCHOBANOGLOUS G., NOR M.A., MACIOLEK D. Shallow intermittent sand filtration: performance evaluation. The Small Flows Journal. 2, (1), 3, 1996.
• 14. RINCK-PFEIFFER S., RAGUSA S., SZTAJNBOK P., VANDEVELDE T. Interrelationships between biological, chemical and physical processes as an analog to clogging in aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells. Wat. Res. 34, (7), 2110, 2000.
• 15. KAWANISHI T., KAWASHIMA H., CHIHARA K., SUZUKI M. Effect of biological clogging on infiltration rate in the soil treatment systems. Proceedings of the International Specialized Conference on Design and Operation of Small Wastewater Treatment Plants, Trondheim, Norway, pp. 105- 112, 1989.
• 16. SPYCHAŁA M. Contaminants removal efficiency in sand filters for domestic sewage primarily treated in septic tank, Rocz. AR Pozn. CCCLV, Melior. Inż. Środ. 24, 191, 2003 [In Polish].
• 17. NAKHLA G., FAROOQ S. Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification in slow sand filters. J. Haz. Mat. 96, 291, 2003