Accumulation of Heavy Metals by Eisenia foetida from Different animal dung and Kitchen wastes during Vermicomposting

Headnote

ABSTRACT:

Heavy metals concentrations observed in different animal dung with kitchen wastes and final vermicompost as well as earthworm body. Different heavy metals such as Cobalt, Chromium, Cadmium, Nickel, Lead and Arsenic (Co, Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb and As) accumulated by earthworm Eisenia foetida and after vermicomposting increased metals in earthworm body. There was significant decrease heavy metals concentration observed in all combinations after vermicomposting. The maximum decrease of Co was observed combination of cow dung + KW (0.023±0.006 mg/kg), Pb in horse dung control (0.008±0.006 mg/kg). The reduction of Cd and Cr was (0.043±0.004 and 0.084±0.003 mg/kg) in goat dung control and goat dung + KW respectively, The concentration of Ni in all combination of goat dung + KW (BDL) and As in all combination of sheep dung + KW (BDL). From present study it is clearly demonstrated that E. foetida significantly decrease the different heavy metals level in the final vermicompost during vermicomposting. This technology is useful for management of kitchen waste and reduction of heavy metals concentration in vermicompost by E. foetida resulting the production of safety food which protects the human health and environment.

Key words: Accumulation, Animal dung, Eisenia foetida, Health problems, Heavy metals, Kitchen wastes (KW) and Vermicomposting.

INTRODUCTION

In India and other developing countries generated large amount of kitchen/agricultural wastes. It causes a serious problem to environment and human health [1-2]. The microbial decomposition of animal agro/kitchen waste produced odor problem. Vermicomposting is one of the suitable ways for the management of biological waste by E. foetida [3-4]. It was reported that vegetable crop/wastes produced from the different polluted agriculture field of India have higher concentration of Cd, Ni, Cr, Pb etc. with respect to other [5-6]. Animal manure contains heavy metals and toxic metals added to soil through these manure could be entered to human body through the food chain [7-9]. Luo et al, [10] reported that vegetable wastes contain huge amount of Cd, Pb and Cr which ultimately reached into agricultural field. Heavy metals accumulation in fruit and vegetables by intake of plant from polluted soil makes it more susceptible [11]. The vegetable waste produced from market, discarded into the land fills, increase the heavy metals in the soil [12]. A possible way to utilize these wastes is by vermibiotechnology [13-14]. Langerweff[15] reported that cadmium is highly toxic metal to human being. The heavy metals entered in the human body by ingestion of contaminated foodstuffspecially grains, cereals and leafy vegetables. Lead is responsible for the damage liver, kidney and brain cells which cause ultimately death, in pregnant women cause miscarriage and cadmium is also causes acute and chronic toxicity symptom in human [16-19]. Brown, [20] reported that cobalt is responsible for the beer hearth syndrome in the human. Heavy metals are non essential and hazardous elements concern the chromium cause lung cancer. It can cause several respiratory irritation lung disease, cancers and kidney problem [21-22]. Chromium spreads the disease in human being, life breathing problem such as asthma, cough wheezing and skin contact can causes skin ulcer. Arsenic is carcinogens and causes cancer of skin, lung and liver. Heavy metals release naturally by erosion of rocks, volcanic activity, forest fire and artificially by many industries, paper mills, vehicles and human activities and it can release in large quantities directly effect the flora, fauna as well as human population [19]. Vermicompost decreased heavy metals and rich source of beneficial microorganisms, higher level of plant available nutrients and therefore may enhance soil fertility [23]. Increase in crop yield, soil nutrients status and nutrients uptake was reported due to application of vermicompost [24-25]. Earthworm E. foetida accumulate heavy metals in their body tissues during vermicomposting of kitchen wastes with different animal dung [26-28].

The aim of the present study is to investigate the level of heavy metal accumulated by earthworm E. foetida from initial vermibed and final vermicompost of different combination of animal dung with kitchen wastes. The heavy metal concentration is also estimated in the earthworm body before inoculation in the vermibeds and after vermicomposting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Collection of Wastes

Animal wastes (cow, buffalo, sheep, goat and horse dung) were collected from different farm houses and kitchen wastes were collected from different part of Gorakhpur city and exposed to sun light for 5 to 10 days for removal of various harmful organism and noxious gases.

Collection of Earthworm

Earthworm E. foetida an epigeic species were cultured in laboratory. Temperature (200C - 30 0C), aeration and moisture (40% - 60%) were maintained for proper growth and development of earthworm.

Experimental setup for vermicomposting

The vermicomposting conducted on cemented earth surface by the method of Gupta, [29]. The different combinations of animal dung and kitchen waste in 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 ratio were used for preparation of vermibeds. The size of each vermibed is 3m ×1m × 9cm. After formation of vermibed were inoculated 2kg of cultured Eisenia foetida in each bed. The beds were covered with jute pockets and moisten the beds daily up to 40 to 50 days for maintaining the moisture content. Each vermibed were manually turned over up to 3 weeks after one week interval. After 60 days granular tea like vermicompost appear on the surface of each bed. The prepared vermicomposts and inoculated earthworm were used for experiments.

Analysis of heavy metals in initial feed mixture and final vermicompost

The heavy metal content in the initial feed mixture and final vermicompost were measured by the method of Maboeta, [30]. About 1 gm of initial feed mixture and final vermicompost were subjected to digestion by adding excess of nitric acid (1:1) and were placed on hot plate and heated for 4 hours at 90 0C to 100 0C. Attentions were taken to ensure that simple did not dry out during digestion. After digestion sample will be poured into 100 ml flask through Whatman No 41 filter paper and injected into flame atomic absorption for determination of the heavy metal concentration.

Analysis of heavy metals in earthworm body

The heavy metals in the earthworm body tissue were digested using by the method of Katz and Jenneis [31]. Earthworm were individually dried, ground and burned to ash at high temperature. The ashes have placed in a test tube and about 10 to 15 ml of 55% nitric acid have added in it. Solution have leftfor 12 hrs at room temperature and heated again a temperature of 40 0C to 60 0C for 2 hrs and then at a temperature of 120 0C to 130 0C for one hrs. Once again heated the sample at 120 0C to 130 0C and 1 ml of 70% perchloric acid has added. The samples have allowed cool before adding 5 ml of distilled water. Again heated sample up to 130 0C until white fumes liberated and allowed to cool finally, before being micro filtered. Filtered the solution through filter paper Whatman No 41 into 100 ml flasks. This solution was taken for measurement of heavy metals content in earthworm body by flame atomic absorption.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

All the data are mean ±SD of 6 replicates. Students"t' test was applied to determine the significant (P<0.05) difference between initial and final vermicompost [32].

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

There was significant reduction (P<0.05"t' test) in heavy metals (Co, Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb and As) observed in final vermicompost of different animal dungs and kitchen wastes with respect to initial feed mixture (Tables 1, 2). The significant reduction of Co was observe in combination of cow dung with kitchen waste (0.023±0.006 mg/kg). The reduction of Co may due to the accumulation of Co in body tissue of earthworm [27, 33]. The goat dung with kitchen wastes have maximum reduction in the level of Cr (0.084±0.003 mg/kg) and Pb was observed in the combination of horse dung control in the level of (0.008±0.006 mg/kg). Table-2, shows that the concentration of Ni in combination of goat dung control and goat dung with kitchen waste was below detectible limit. The concentration of Cd in goat dung with kitchen waste was (0.043±0.004 mg/kg). The high rate of accumulation capability of heavy metals may responsible for these results [27-28, 34]. The maximum significant reduction of As in combination of cow and sheep dung with kitchen waste was BDL. It is clear that the reduction of heavy metals concentration of different animal dung with kitchen wastes was directly related to earthworm activity during wastes decomposition system [35]. Suthar et al., [33] reported that different metal content in final vermicompost are related to the different rate of physiological metabolism of earthworm. It is possible that vermic activity, growth and development of earthworm E. foetida are better in combination of kitchen waste with cow and sheep dung [36]. The high rate of vermic activity may be causes higher rate of accumulation of heavy metals from wastes during vermicomposting [27]. The organic matter ingested by earthworm under goes different chemical and microbial changes during vermicomposting [37]. Significantly changed fraction distribution and bioavailability of these heavy metals may be due to the accumulation in earthworm body tissue during vermic activity [38-40]. Morgan and Morgan [41] reported that accumulation of metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and Ca) by earthworm species during vermicomposting. Earthworm E. foetida have ability to bioaccumulation the heavy metals in their body from municipal solid wastes [34, 42].

Heavy metals (Co, Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb and As) concentration in the body of E. foetida was significantly increase after the vermicomposting of all combination of different animal dung with kitchen waste (Table-3). The maximum significant increase content of Co, Ni and As was observe in the body of earthworm, procured from combination of buffalo dung with kitchen waste (6.901±0.003 mg/kg), (7.126±0.004 mg/kg) and (9.648±0.002 mg/kg). Cr was significantly increase in the earthworm body obtain from combination of buffalo dung control (155.187±0.002 mg/kg). Pb and Cd was maximum in the earthworm body obtain from combination of sheep dung with kitchen waste (10.062±0.003 mg/kg) and horse dung control (61.945±0.003 mg/kg) respectively. The cobalt, cadmium, nickel and arsenic easy accumulation in earthworm body during vermicomposting of different animal dung with kitchen waste. Leonard and Dolfing [43] reported that accumulation of Cd by earthworm species E. foetida during vermic activity.

CONCLUSION

There was significant increase of heavy metals accumulation in their body tissue of E. foetida whereas decreased heavy metals level in final vermicompost of different animal dung (cow, buffalo, sheep, goat and horse dung) with kitchen wastes and the combination of buffalo dung with kitchen waste E. foetida have maximum accumulation of heavy metals in their body. In combination of buffalo dung with kitchen waste more time better activity of earthworm than other combination of animal dung with kitchen waste because it have low concentration of heavy metals in final vermicompost which good for human health and environment.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Authors are thankful to UGC New Delhi for financial support under R.G.N.F. Scheme.

References

REFERENCES

[1] Chhotu D., Jadia., Fulekar (2008) Vermicomposting of vegetable waste: A bio-physicochemical process based on hydro-operating bioreactor. African Journal of Biotechnology, 7(20):3723-3730

[2] Suthar S.S., J. Watts, M. Sandhu, S. Rana, A. Kanwal, D. Gupta, M.S. Meena (2005) Vermicomposting of kitchen waste by using Eisenia foetida (SAVIGNY). Asian j. Microbiol. Biotech. Envron. Sci, 7:541-544

[3] Reinecke A.J., S.A. Viljioen, R.J. Saayman (1992) "The suitability of Eudrilus eugeniae, Perionyx excavaus & E. foetida (Oligochaeta) for vermicomposting in southern Africa in term of their temperature requirements. Soil Biol. Biochem, 24:1295-1307

[4] Ndegwa P.M., S.A. Thompson (2001) Integrating composting and vermicomposting in the treatment of bioconversion of biosolids. Biores. Technol, 76:107-112

[5] Singh S., M. Kumar (2006) Environ Monit Assess, 120:79

[6] Sharma R.K., M. Agarwal, F.M. Marshall (2007) Ecotoxicol Environ., Saf, 66:258-266

[7] CRI (1994) Report of the Soil and Plant Nutrient Division. Annual Report Coconut Research Institute, Lunuwila, Sri Lanka. Pp 83-85

[8] Hernandez T., J.I. Moreno, F. Costa (1991) Influence of sewage sludge application on crop yields and heavy metal availability. Soil Science Plant Nutrition, 37:201-210

[9] Hu H (2002) Human health and heavy metal exposure. The environmental and Human Health (Michael Mc Callyed), MIT press p. 1-13

[10] Luo C., C. Lic, Y. Wang, X. Liu, F. Li, G. Zhan, X. Li (2011) Heavy metal contamination in soils and vegetables near an e-waste processing South China. J. Hazard Mater. 186(1):481-490

[11] Sharma R.K., M. Agarwal, F.M. Marshall (2008) Environ Pollut, 154:254-263

[12] Bouallagui H., M. Torrijos, J.J. Godon, R. Moletta, R.B. Cheikh, Y. Touhami, J.P. Delgenes, M. Hamdi (2004) Two-phases anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable wastes: bioreactors performance. Biochem. Eng. J, 21:93-197

[13] Benifez E, R. Nogales, C. Elvira, G. Masciandaro, B. Ceccanti (1999) Enzyme and earthworm activities during vermicomposting of carbaryl-trated sewage sludge. J. Environ. Qual, 28:1099-1104

[14] Mills T (2006) Composting cafeteria residuals with earthworm. Biocycle, 47:55-55

[15] LongerwerffJ.V (1992) Lead, Mercury and Cadmium as Environmental contaminants. In Micronutrients in Agriculture. Soil Science Society of America, Tnc., Madison, Wisconsin p: 596-636

[16] Hu H., A. Aro, M. Payton, S. Korrick, D. Sparrow, S.T. Weiss, A. Rotnitzky (1996) The relationship of bone and blood lead to hypertension: the normative aging study, J. Am. Med. Assoc, 275:1171-1176

[17] Mueller M., M. Anke (1994) Distribution of cadmium in the food chain (soil-plant-human), of a cadmium exposed area and the health risks of the general population, Sci., Total Environ, 156:151-158

[18] Lester G (1997) Fruit nutritional quality and health functionality, Cucumus melo L, 7:222-227

[19] Martin S., W. Griswold (2009) Human Health Effect of Heavy Metals. Environ Science and Technol., Briefs for citizens, 15:1-6

[20] Brown H.J.M (1968) The use of activation analysis in the study of cystic fibrosis; paper presented at the IAEA panel meeting on activation analysis in the study of mineral element metabolism in man, held in Tehran, Iran, in June, 1968

[21] Suwazono Y., Y. Kobayashi, K. Okubo, T. Nagawa, Kido H. Nakagawa (2002) Renal effect of cadmium exposure in cadmium no pollutant areas in Japan. Environ Res, 84:44-55

[22] Ye J., S. Wang, M. Barger, V. Castranava, X. Shi (2000) Activation of androgen response element by cadmium; a potential mechanism for a carcinogenic effect of cadmium in the prostate. J. Environ Pathol, Taxicol., Oncal, 19:275-80

[23] Paul F.H (2000) Earthworms. In: Hand book of soil Science, Sumner M.E. (Ed.), CRC Press., C. 77-85

[24] Roberts P., G.E. Jones, D.L. Jones (2007) Yield responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum) to vermicompost. Compost Sci. Util, 15:6-15

[25] Singh A., S. Sharma (2003) Effect of microbial inocula on mixed solid waste composting, vermicomposting and plant response. Compost Sci. Util, 11:190-199

[26] Fisher E., L. Molnar (1992) Environmental aspects of Chologogenous tissue of earthworms. Soil Biol. Biochem, 28:1723-1727

[27] Shahmansouri, M.R., H. Pourmoghadas, A.R. Parvaresh, H. Alidadi (2005) Heavy metals bioaccumulation by Indian and Australian earthworm (Eisenia foetida) in the sewage sludge

[28] Saxena M., A. Chauhan (1998) Fly ash vermicomposting from non-organic wastes. Pallut Res, 17:5-11

[29] Gupta P.K (2005) Vermicomposting for sustainable agriculture. Bharat Printing Press, Jodhpur, India, p.11-14

[30] Maboeta M (2003) Vermicomposting of industrially produced wood chips and sewage sludge.utilizing E. foetida. Ecotoxicology and environmental safety, 56:265-270

[31] Katz S.A. S.W. Jenneis (1983) Regulatory compliance monitory by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Verlay Chemical International, fl.

[32] Sokal R., F.J. Rohlf (1973) Introduction to Biostatistics. W.H. Freeman and Co.San Fransisco.

[33] Suthar S., S. Singh and S. Dhawan 2008. Earthworm as bioindicators of metals (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb and Cd) in soils: Is metal bioaccumulation affected by their ecological categories. Ecol Eng., 32: 99-107

[34] Conder J.M., L.D. Seals, R.P. Lanno (2003) Method for determining toxicologically relevant cadmium residues in the earthworm Eisenia foetida, Chemosphere, 49:1-7

[35] Devliegher W., W. Verstraete (1996) Lumbricus terrestris in a soil core experiment: effect of nutrient-enrichment processes (NEP) and gut associated processes (GAP) on the availability of plant nutrients and heavy metals. Soil Biol, Biochem, 28:489-496

[36] Nath G., K. Singh, D.K. Singh (2009) Chemical analysis of Vermicomposts/Vermiwash of different combinations of animal, agro and kitchen wastes. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Science, 3(4):3672-3676

[37] Edwards C.A., P.J. Bohlen (1996) Biology and Ecology of Earthworm. (3rd Eds.), Chapman and Hall, London, p. 426

[38] Cheng J., M.H. Wong (2002) Effects of earthworms on Zn fractionation in soils. Biol., Fertil Soils, 36:72-78

[39] Jordao C.P., L.L. Fialho, P.R. Cecon, A.T. Matos, J.C.L. Neves, E.S. Menthonca, R.L.F. Fontes (2006) Effect of Cu, Ni and Zn on Lettuce Grown in Metal-Enriched Vermicompost Amended Soil. Water, Air and Soil Pollut, 127:21-38

[40] Ma Y., N.M. Dickinson, M.H. Wong (2002) Toxicity of Pb/Zn mine tailings to the earthworm Pheretima species and the effects of burrowing on metal availability. Biol., Fertil Soils, 36:79-86

[41] Morgan JE., A.J. Morgan (1999) The accumulation of metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and Ca) By two ecologically contrasting earthworm species. Applied soil Ecology, 13:9-20

[42] Suthar S., S. Singh (2008) Biococentrations of metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb) in Earthworm (Eisenia foetida), Inoculation in Municipal Sewage Sludge: Do Earthworms Pose a Possible Risk of Terrestrial Food Chain Contamination? Environ. Toxicol, 24:25-32.

[43] Leonard A.O., J. Dolfing (2001) Cadmium uptake by earthworms as related to the availability in the soil in the intestine. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 20:1786-1791.