Management of Kitchen Waste

ASIAN J. EXP. BIOL. SCI.
, VOL 1 (1) 2010:175-177
© Society of Applied Sciences
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Management of Kitchen Waste Material through Vermicomposting
Alok Bharadwaj
Dept. of Biotechnology, G.L.A. Institute of Professional Studies, Mathura (U.P.)
ABSTRACT
India produces around 3000 million tones of organic waste annually. This huge volume of waste(s) comes
from agriculture, urban and industrial sources and also from domestic activities. Utilization of this waste
material for productivity process is important for both economical and environmental reasons. In the
present study an effort has been made to asses the efficacy of E. foetida (red tiger worm) in utilizing the
kitchen waste material, to analyze the waste decomposition process assessed with earthworm activity. This
chosen substrate was mixed with cow dung in the ratio of 4:1 (w/w) to initiate the waste conversion process
into a useful product. Physical and biochemical activity, occurring during the 75 days of vermicomposting
period were analyzed. During this process pH, organic carbon, organic matter and C:N ratio revealed
negative trend, however total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium content
expressed positive trend of increment with vercomposting period. 15 days precomposting of substrate
(kitchen waste + cow dung ) and subsequent vermicomposting upto 75 days, clearly indicate the potential of
earthworm biotechnology in reduction of biomass of the waste, addition of the nutrient pool (nutrient
enrichment) and more availability of animal protein in the form of earthworm number and biomass.
KEY WORDS: E. foetida, pH, organic carbon, organic matter, cow dung
INTRODUCTION
Due to increasing in population, rapid industrialization and trend of urbanization, the problem of various
types of men made waste products are gradually increasing. There are different types of wastes like solid,
liquid and gas, which are needed to be handled and the solid waste management itself covers a vast field.
Solid wastes are produced at different sources i.e. institutional, commercial, agricultural and industrial.
Utilization of these waste materials for productivity process is important for both economical and
environmental reasons. Agricultural waste, city garbage and kitchen waste has been recycled with
vermicomposting along with bio-conversion of organic waste material into nutrition rich vermicompost
by earthworm activity [1]. Vermicomposting is an important aspect, as it converts waste to wealth by
using cheap eco-friendly option with activity of earthworm [1].
The physical process include substrate aeration, mixing as well as grinding, while the biochemical
process is influenced by microbial decomposition of substrate in the intestine of earthworm [2-3]. The
present study chosen considering the fact that management of kitchen waste through vermicomposting is
of paramount significant from the point of view of healthy quality of environment. Hence this work
promote the utility of earthworm potential in waste management biotechnology, thus resulted in
utilization of waste material into useful product on one side environment clean up another side.
MATERIALS AND METHODS

Collection of material
Kitchen waste material was collect from houses, then air dried and grinded into small pieces. This grinded
waste material was mixed with cow dung in the ratio of 4:1 (w/w) and was subjected aerobic composting
to initiate microbial activity. Moisture content of the was maintained to 60% to 70% and this mixture was
then kept in plastic containers covered with paper having holes to facilitate aeration in order to get final
composted material. This mixture was hand manipulated at regular time intervals and remoistened for
sufficient microbial activity.
ASIAN J. EXP. BIOL.SCI., VOL 1(1) 2010 175

Management of Kitchen Waste Material through Vermicomposting Alok Bharadwaj
Collection of animals
When the temperature becomes constant and colour of the mixture turns brown to black, it was used as
substrate for vermicomposting. For vermicomposting the earthworms (Eisenia foetida) were obtained
from vermicompost unit of Dept. of Botany and Microbiology, B.S.A College, Mathura.
Physico-chemcial analysis
During the composting process the material was analysed for different physico-chemical attributes such
as pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, C: N ratio and
organic matter as per the methods suggested by other workers [4-6], as well as for earthworm number,
biomass, cocoon production and weight loss of organic substrate [7-8]. During the course of investigation,
the samples were examined at periodic intervals after 15, 45 and 75 days of vermicomposting.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION

It is evident from the data presented in Table 1. that kitchen waste material (control) characterized with
high values of pH (9.32), organic carbon (7.25%) and organic matter (12.49%). However, other nutrients
such as total nitrogen (0.214%), available phosphorus (0.11%) and exchangeable potassium (0.086%)
were found in very trace amounts. The vermicomposting activity significantly modified the physical and
chemical properties of kitchen waste material that can be an important tool for organic farming.
It is indicated in Table-1 that during vermicomposting the pH declines (from 9.32 to 8.37) with the
advancement of vermicomposting period (from 0 to 75 days). It might be on account of high
mineralization of nitrogen and phosphorus into nitrates/nitrites and ortho-phosphate. Moreover, the
organic carbon content, organic matter and C:N ratio of the kitchen waste material also showed the same
pattern and decline gradually upto 75 days. The highest values of organic carbon, organic matter and C:N
ratio were obtained in control (0 day) i.e. 7.25%, 12.49% and 30.08% respectively and lowest values were
obtained after 75 days of vermicomposting i.e. 3.69%, 6.37% and 4.79% respectively. Moreover, after 75
days of
vermicomposting, there is about 10.19% decline found in pH, 49.02% in organic carbon, 49.03% in
organic matter and 84.08% in C: N ratio. These data are also supported by Elvira et al. [9], who observed
20 to 42% loss of carbon as CO2 during vermicomposting of paper mill and dairy sludge. Moreover, the
increase in earthworm population might also be attributed to the C: N ratio decreasing with time [10].
It is clearly evident from the result of Table 1. that the values of total nitrogen, available phosphorus and
exchangeable potassium increased over 75 days of vermicomposting. Lowest values of total nitrogen
(0.214%), available phosphorus (0.11%) and exchangeable potassium (0.086%) were found in control (0
day). Moreover, as the time period increases during vermicomposting, these parameters also increases
and their maximum values i.e. total nitrogen (0.771%), available phosphorus (0.11%) and exchangeable
potassium (0.386%) were obtained after 75 days of vermicomposting. Gunadi et al. [11] also demonstrate
that after six months of vermicomposting, the nitrogen content in the end product was high. The
perusal of data as revealed in Table-2, that no mortality of earthworm was observed in vermicomposting
of precomposted kitchen waste. Garg et al. [12], while working growth and reproduction of E. foetida in
animal wastes also opined that precomposting is very essential to avoid the mortality of worms.
Increased worm number and cocoon production was found to be maximum after 75 days of
vermicomposting. Suthar [13] also noted the changes in biomass and cocoon production and attributed the
cause of difference in substrate composting quality. It is clearly evident from Table-3, that earthworm
biotechnology greatly reduces the waste amount, besides improving the nutrient pool status of converted
biomass for its utilization for one or the other purposes in agricultural production. During
vermicomposting of kitchen waste, the weight loss percentage was found to be 61.94%.
From the present study, it can be concluded that earthworm biotechnology is the one more economic, eco-
friendly waste management technology and resulting in the bioconversion from waste to wealth.
Moreover, this waste management technology mediated by earthworm could also be utilized for self
employment, resource generation in rural areas and a big income generation resource especially in urban
cities.

Management of Kitchen Waste Material through Vermicomposting Alok Bharadwaj
Table-1 Effect of vermicompost on different phyco-chemical parameter of kitchen waste

S. No. Parameters Duration of vermicomposting
0 days 15 days 45 days 75 days
1 Ph 9.32 9.22 8.9 8.37
2 Organic carbon (%) 7.25 5.265 5.078 3.696
3 Total nitrogen (%) 0.241 0.301 0.361 0.771
4 Available phosphorus (%) 0.11 0.12 0.16 0.18
5 Exchangeable potassium (%) 0.0086 0.132 0.196 0.386
6 C:N ratio 30.08 17.49 14.06 4.79
7 Organic matter (%) 12.499 9.076 8.754 6.371
Table 2. Impact of composting period on earthworm number, biomass and cocoon production
Type of Earthworm Number Body Weight (gm) Cocoon Production

Waste
0 days 45 days 75 days 0 days 45 days 75 days 0 days 45 days 75 days
Kitchen 50 59 65 16.45 35.50 41.40 Nil 20 38

Waste
Table 3 Impact of vermicomposting on weight loss of organic substrate
Type of Waste Initial weight of Weight of Final weight of Loss % during
substrate (gm) precomposted waste vermicompost (gm) vermicompost
(gm)
Kitchen Waste 1000 670 255 61.94
REFERENCES
[1] Mall, A.K., Dubey, A. and Prasad, S. (2005) Vermicompost: an inevitable tool of organic farming for
sustainable agriculture. Agrobios Newsletter, 3(8):10-12.
[2] Hand, P., Hayes, W.A., Satchell, J.E., Frankl, J.C., Edwards, C.A. and Neuhauser, E.F. (1998).The
vermicomposting of cowslurry. Earthworm Waste Environ. Management. pp.49-63.
[3] Kaviraj and Sharma, S. (2003) Municipal solid waste management through vermicomposting employing
exotic and local species of earthworms. Biores. Technol., (90):169-173.
[4] Piper, C. S. (1966). Chemical analysis saline soil. Soil and Plants Analysis. Hans Publication, Bombay,
India.
[5] Jackson, M. L. (1973). Soil chemical analysis. Prentice Hall India Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India.
[6] Iswaran, V. and Marwaha, T. S. (1980). A modified rapid Kjeldahal method for determination of total
nitrogen in agricultural and biological materials. Geobios, 7: 281-282.
[7] Wantanabe, H. and Tsukamato, J.(1976) Seasonal changes in size, class and age structure of the
Lumbricid Eisenia foetida population in field compost and its practical application as the decomposer
as organic waste matter. Revue d’ Ecologie et de Biologie du Sol., (13): 141-146.
[8] Tripathi, G. and Bharadwaj, P. (2004) Comparative studies on biomass production, life cycles and
composting efficacy of Eisenia foetida (Savigny) and Lampito maruitti (Kinberg). Biores. Technol.,
92(3):275-283.
[9] Elvira, C., Sampedro, L., Benitez, E. and Nogales, R. (1998) Vermicomposting of sludges from paper
mill and dairy industries with Eisenia andrei: a pilot-scale study. Biores. Technol., 63:205-211.
[10] Ndegwa, P. M., Thompson, S. A. and Das, K. C. (2000).Effects of stocking density and feeding rate on
vermicomposting of biosolids. Biores Technol., 71:5-12.
[11] Gunadi, B. and Edwards, C.A. (2002). The effect of multiple application of different organic waste on
the growth fecundity and survival of Eisenia foetida (Savigny) (Lumbricidae). Pedobiologia., (31):199-
209.
[12] Garg, P., Gupta, A. and Satya, S. (2006) Vermicomposting of different types of waste using Eisenia
foetida: A comparative study. Biores. Technol., (97):391 395.
[13] Suthar, S. (2007) Vermicomposting potential of Perionyx sansbaricus (Perrier) in different waste
material. Biores. Technol., 98(6):1231-1237.
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Dr. Alok Bharadwaj, Dept. of Biotechnology, G.L.A. Institute of

Professional Studies, Mathura (U.P.)

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ASIAN J. EXP. BIOL. SCI.

, VOL 1 (1) 2010:175-177

© Society of Applied Sciences

MATERIALS AND METHODS

ASIAN J. EXP. BIOL.SCI., VOL 1(1) 2010 175

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

ASIAN J. EXP. BIOL.SCI., VOL 1(1) 2010 176

Table-1 Effect of vermicompost on different phyco-chemical parameter of kitchen waste

Type of Earthworm Number Body Weight (gm) Cocoon Production

Kitchen 50 59 65 16.45 35.50 41.40 Nil 20 38

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Dr. Alok Bharadwaj, Dept. of Biotechnology, G.L.A. Institute of

ASIAN J. EXP. BIOL.SCI., VOL 1(1) 2010 177

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