BIODEGRADATION OF ORGANIC HOUSEHOLD WASTE USING VERMICOMPOSTING

Abstract

Irrational waste management leads to changes in ecosystems, including air, water and soil pollution, therefore it poses a real threat to human health. The increase in the generation of solid waste is a burden on the high costs of the state budget. Population growth, rapid urbanization, booming economies, and rising living standards have significantly accelerated the rate, volume, and quality of solid waste generation. The biodegradation of SНW over time is an important factor that determines the amount of recycled material, especially its organic component. Purpose. The goal is to develop a technology for processing the organic component of household waste by the method of step-by-step composting with the participation of effective microorganisms and compost worms Methods. In the process of performing the work, general scientific and special research methods were used: comparative-analytical (physical-chemical and agrochemical research, comparative- calculation and statistical (mathematical and statistical processing of experimental data). The results. The results of the conducted research showed that after the completion of the composting process, the obtained organic fertilizer EM compost is an important source of organic matter and can be used to restore the potential fertility of soils to maintain sustainable agricultural production in the region and the country as a whole. The developed new biodegradation technologies of organic waste with the help of Lumbricus terrestris and Eisenia foetida, adapted to the conditions of the Kirovohrad region, make it possible to obtain organic fertilizer «EM compost» with a high content of humus – more than 10 %. The output of biohumus depends on the type of feed for worms. Eisenia foetida forms 1,7 % more humus compared to Lumbricus terrestris. Findings. A comprehensive analysis of the results of our experiment showed that the use of the organic component of household waste as a food substrate for Eisenia foetida individuals does not ensure an increase in the productivity of vermiculture processes, causes a decrease in the biomass of individuals and a decrease in their fertility indicators. At the same time, individuals of Lumbricus terrestris, on the contrary, have better fertility indicators, so they are ideal for vermiculture processes. Among the investigated types of waste, the best indicators of fertility of both types of compost worms, providing high indicators of biomass growth of individuals, are horse manure and the organic component of solid waste in comparison with cattle manure and chicken droppings, which are traditionally used in vermiculture to obtain organic fertilizer.