This study focuses on the microbial degradation of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) to vermicompost as a bioconversion strategy. Water hyacinth was vermicomposted using Eisenia Fetida earthworms loaded at a rate of 150 earthworms/L over a period of 35 days. The changes in water hyacinth total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TP), and total phosphorous (TP) and total potassium (TP) were measured using standard methods. Linear models were generated using MATLab 13.0 to describe the changes in physicochemical properties with change in vermicomposting time using the regression coefficients (R2) values. The TOC and COD decreased significantly by 60% and 53% as the water hyacinth was converted to vermicompost. The TKN, TP and TK increased by 93%, 127% and 98% respectively. Linear models developed indicated R2 values of 0.9 for all the parameters.
Track: Waste Management
Published in: 9th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Bangkok, Thailand
Publisher: IEOM Society International
Date of Conference: March 5
-7
, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5323-5948-4
ISSN/E-ISSN: 2169-8767