Inactivation of bacterial pathogenic load in compost against vermicompost of organic solid waste aiming to achieve sanitation goals: A review. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Soobhany, Nuhaa; Mohee, Romeela; Garg, Vinod Kumar
• Is Part Of: Waste management. Volume 64(2017)
• Page Start: 51
• Page End: 62
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: Compost -- Vermicomposting -- Pathogenic bacteria -- Organic waste -- Sanitization -- Escherichia coli; Hazardous wastes -- Periodicals; Refuse and refuse disposal -- Periodicals; 363.728
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2017.03.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-053X

Abstract

Highlights: Heat resistant mutants could explain the prolonged survival of E. coli in compost. Physiological aspects of bacteria are conducive to bacterial survival in compost. Pathogenic inactivation during vermicomposting is earthworm species dependent. Digestive processes in worms' guts are factors involved to destruction of pathogens. Earthworms greatly hasten total coliforms reduction in vermicompost than compost. Abstract: Waste management strategies for organic residues, such as composting and vermicomposting, have been implemented in some developed and developing countries to solve the problem of organic solid waste (OSW). Yet, these biological treatment technologies do not always result in good quality compost or vermicompost with regards to sanitation capacity owing to the presence of bacterial pathogenic substances in objectionable concentrations. The presence of pathogens in soil conditioners poses a potential health hazard and their occurrence is of particular significance in composts and/or vermicomposts produced from organic materials. Past and present researches demonstrated a high-degree of agreement that various pathogens survive after the composting of certain OSW but whether similar changes in bacterial pathogenic loads arise during vermitechnology has not been thoroughly elucidated. This review garners information regarding the status of various pathogenic bacteria which survived or diffused after the composting process compared to the status of these pathogens after the vermicomposting of OSW with the aim of achieving sanitation goals. This work is also indispensable for the specification of compost quality guidelines concerning pathogen loads which would be specific to treatment technology. It was hypothesized that vermicomposting process for OSW can be efficacious in sustaining the existence of pathogenic organisms most specifically; human pathogens under safety levels. In summary, earthworms can be regarded as a way of obliterating pathogenic bacteria from OSW in a manner equivalent to earthworm gut transit mechanism which classifies vermicomposting as a promising sanitation technique in comparison to composting processes.