Abstract:
In our study we focused our work on the treatment of food waste by vermicomposting in the presence of Eisenia fetida. Furthermore, we have used 4 types of beddings for earthworms: dead chestnut leaves, vermiculite, soil, and commercial vermicompost. During this experiment we followed changes of catabolic capacity (biolog ecoplate) and biomass (SIR) of microflora we have also made the counting of the number of individuals of Eisenia fetida, from different stages of maturation. We found that the Eisenia fetida decreases strongly the substrate induced respiration (SIR) in all types of vermibeds used, moreover the biolog ecoplate showed an increase of substrates utilization patterns , accept in amino acids and amines utilization in treatment which we used vermiculite, the growth and fecundity of earthworms were higher in microcosms with vermiculite and vermicompost. Samples were taken for chemical analysis of total carbon, total nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon contents. The results during 100 days of vermicomposting showed an increase of, ammonium, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon contents, a depletion of total carbon and an increase of total nitrogen. The effect of earthworms on nutrients was significant in some reactors and not significant in others, which implies the effect of vermibed used on the process of decomposition by earthworms
